


East of Eden

by Kangofu_CB



Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Angst, Blood and Violence, Canon-Typical Violence, Death, Fae & Fairies, M/M, Magic, Multi, Sex, Vampires, Were-Creatures
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-01
Updated: 2018-04-22
Packaged: 2019-01-27 22:21:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 57,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12591796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kangofu_CB/pseuds/Kangofu_CB
Summary: Wufei needs help to save his clan from a mysterious enemy.  He leaves, looking for help from a near-mythical figure: The God of Death.  He may, however, get more than he bargained for...





	1. Dia an bháis

**Author's Note:**

> Some of you may have read part of the first chapter of this when I posted it for Tropefest. This is the story in its (eventual)entirety! I hope you enjoy it - it's... not at all like my usual writing.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which our hero finds the person he's been looking for, but it doesn't turn out quite how he expected.

_ “I put a spell on you, and now you’re mine.” _

_ \- Annie Lennox, I Put A Spell On You _

* * *

 

 

Wufei eyed the dance club with distaste.  He could feel the bass vibrating along his chest from across the street, and the seething horde of humanity he could smell both inside and outside was off-putting.

 

Still.

 

He’d spent weeks tracking down the mysterious owner of the club, still more time passing word through the underground channels that he was requesting a meeting before he’d finally been informed his goal could be met tonight, at this club.  Sighing, he glanced at his watch, moving towards the roped-off VIP entrance.  The bouncer was tall and slim, his hair falling artfully over the right side of his face.  He smirked at Wufei as he approached, arms crossed casually over his chest.  “Can I help you with something?”  His voice was low and gravelly, the words almost like a growl.

 

“I have an appointment with _Dia an bháis_.”  The name itself was unfamiliar, but the translation was not, and Wufei was certain this was the answer to his search.

 

Green eyes looked him over appraisingly, flashing in the low light.  Something about him seemed vaguely familiar, though there was no way Wufei could possibly know him.  Unhooking the velvet rope, he gestured Wufei inside. There was a stylized lion tattoo on his forearm, all strong lines in shades of black and taupe.  “Upstairs, in the back.   He’ll be waiting for you.”

 

Climbing the steep stairs to the restricted second floor, the bass pounded even more strongly in his chest.  To his left he could gaze out over the dancefloor, the the mass of bodies gyrating under black lights and in a haze of club smoke.  He wrinkled his nose.  To the right were several closed doors, but the bouncer had said ‘in the back’ so he continued straight on.  At the end of the hall was a door that stood partially open, and it was this one he chose.  

 

Near the back wall was a large armchair, intricately carved from dark wood with grey leather upholstery, a man dressed in form-fitting black lazily draped across it, drink in hand.  He was pale, the edge of a sharp smile on his face, with a long chestnut braid, streaks of auburn shining when the light hit it just right.  His eyes, when he glanced up and caught sight of Wufei, were the violet of a deep twilight.  He was ethereal.

 

The man could not more obviously have been fae, which meant he was almost certainly who Wufei was looking for.  He strode across the room, stopping at a respectable distance away.   Taking a sip of his drink, an eyebrow arched in question, eyes crinkling at the edges in what Wufei assumed was a smirk.

 

“Are you Dia an bháis?”  Wufei asked, carefully pronouncing the unfamiliar title.

 

“Some call me that,” came the amused response.  “And you are?”

 

“Chang Wufei,” he answered, immediately.  “I’ve come to strike a bargain.”  He paused, frowning.  He hadn’t meant to say all that.

 

“Hmm…” The other man sat up fully, setting his glass to the side.  He caught the eye of someone over Wufei’s shoulder, gave a slight nod, and turned back, his eyes meeting Wufei’s.  “Chang Wufei.”  He seemed to roll the name around in his mouth, and Wufei shivered in response.  “Hasn’t anyone ever told you not to give your name to the fae?  It gives them power over you.”  His smile unfurled, dark and secretive, as his eyes dragged from the top of his head to the tips of his toes.

 

Wufei swallowed, hard.  He had been told that, actually.  He nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

 

The smile widened.  “What have you come here for, Chang Wufei?”

 

Feeling compelled to respond, the words tumbled out, almost one on top of the other.  “There is a dark fae tormenting my village.  He has taken my cousin, and he’s demanding my clan destroy his enemies in exchange for her safety.  I am here to ask for your help.”

 

Violet eyes turned cold.  “And what makes you think I would get involved in fae affairs?”

 

“It is said that you punish those who prey on the weak.”

 

Making a noncommittal noise, the braided man stood, circling Wufei, almost predatory.  It put Wufei on edge, his shoulders tensing, as he waited to see what would happen next.  A slim hand reached out, touched his shoulder, and unthinkingly, Wufei reacted, whirling, claws out, slashing against the forearm.  Blood welled up along the marks, sluggishly, as Wufei stared, horrified, at what he had done.

 

Seemingly unconcerned, the dark fae called out.  “Quatre may stay.  Everyone else, get out.”

 

Wufei had taken no notice of the others in the room when he arrived, but he watched now as perhaps twenty people filed out, looking alarmed.  All but a slender blond, pale and delicate looking, with blue eyes and the face of an angel.  

 

Then he smiled, and ruined the effect.

 

Sauntering up to the other man, devilish smirk on his face, he reached for the bleeding arm, bringing it to his lips, licking it clean.  

 

 _Vampire_ , Wufei realized, shuddering.

 

When he released the arm, the wound was gone.

 

The fae turned to him, tugging him close, and they shared a deep, searching kiss, Quatre sighing into it, the other man seeming energized.  When they parted, the blond vampire eyed Wufei speculatively.

 

“A were,” he purred, “and a powerful one, to have wounded you.”

 

“Hmm,” the fae agreed, returning to his chair.  “One who now owes me a blood debt _and_ wants my help.  His name is Chang Wufei.”

 

“A blood debt?!”  Wufei demanded.  

 

“Oh yes,” Quatre continued, “you drew blood at a peaceful meeting, unprovoked.  You certainly owe a debt.”  He glanced at Duo, eyes glittering in amusement, who nodded at him, smirking.  “You can settle it here and now, if you like, and continue your… previous negotiations.”

 

Wufei swallowed, hard. What that entailed, he didn't know, but what choice did he have, really? And he _had_ attacked unprovoked. “Very well,” he answered, chin held high.

 

Quatre looked absolutely delighted, whilst the fae watched him with growing amusement.

 

A chair materialized behind him, though he suspected Quatre had brought it over while he was staring into violet eyes, and Wufei sat as it nudged his knees out from under him.   Wufei had worn a sleeveless, high collared tunic to the meeting, and Quatre trailed his fingers up the bare skin of his right wrist and arm, around his shoulders, and back down the left arm, goosebumps erupting in response to his cool touch.

 

“Do you have any preferences,” the blond murmured, doodling patterns on his arm.

 

“No, no preferences,” he croaked, swallowing.

 

Preferences for _what,_ he didn't ask.

 

In retrospect that was probably a mistake.

 

The fae propped his chin in his hand, watching with interest. “You don't have much experience with the supernatural outside your own, do you Chang?”

 

Again the compulsion to answer. He shook his head.

 

Duo sighed, and raised his eyebrows at Quatre.

 

Wufei could practically _feel_ the blond pouting. “Get it over with,” he snapped.

 

Chuckling, the fae leaned back lazily. “You'll feel differently in a moment,” he said, cryptically.

 

Before Wufei could voice his opinion on that, his wrist was lifted to cool lips as he braced himself for pain-

 

And instead drowned in waves of ecstasy. It lasted simultaneously forever and entirely not long enough, rolling through him in hot pulses.

 

He may have moaned.

 

When he opened his eyes, panting, Quatre was perched on the arm of fae’s chair, licking his lips, both of them looking lazily satisfied.  “What was _that_ ?” Wufei demanded. Quatre just smirked more.  The two of them seemed to feed off of each other, riding the high of smug satisfaction.  “And what is _with_ you two?”

 

“Consider it an overture of friendship,” the vampire smirked.

 

Wufei glared at him.

 

The fae laughed. “Feisty, aren't you?” He paused. Resumed speaking in a more cautious tone. “In _exchange_ for your name, I'll answer your question. Quatre and I have a long-standing partnership and mutual exchange of blood and power.”

 

As if _that_ made it any more clear. “Do you have a name?” Wufei asked cautiously.

 

“Of course,” the fae looked crafty, “but you can call me Duo.”

 

Wufei nodded shortly.

 

“So,” Duo continued, “you came to ask for my assistance with your… problem. What are you bargaining with?”

 

Wufei looked at him in bewilderment. Duo exchanged glances with Quatre.

 

“Let me guess,” he sighed, “you thought you'd come and tell me a horror story about your village and I'd ride off into the sunset with you to defeat the evil fairy and you'd live happily ever after.”

 

Well, when he put it like that…

 

Wufei looked down, shamed.

 

“That's not how fae magic works,” Duo said, his voice surprisingly gentle. “It requires an even exchange. A bargain. Otherwise it creates a magical debt which is… problematic for all parties.”

 

Wufei had nothing to bargain with. He was here of his own accord, not even at the behest of his clan. He'd left in the dead of night chasing rumors and bedtime stories to find this… this dark fae, the one they called _Dia an bháis,_ or _Shinigami._ The God of Death.  

 

He didn't even know if the rumors were true, but if he had any better options, Wufei wouldn't be here now.

 

“I offer myself in exchange,” he said, quietly.

 

There was a long silence before Duo spoke. “In what capacity?”

 

“In whatever capacity will convince you to help me!” He was frustrated, defeated, had traveled several continents and expended multiple personal favors to get here, and he was at the end of his rope. He glanced up at the two of them, watching him with curiously blank expressions. “I, Chang Wufei, heir of the Shenlong Clan, offer myself in exchange for your assistance in freeing my clan.”

 

There was an almost tangible sense of anticipation in the air, hanging heavy over the three of them, and Wufei's heart stuttered.

 

Quatre and Duo exchanged a long, communicative glance, and then Duo looked back at him, seriously, and spoke very formally.

 

“We accept.”

 

The magic rushed over him like cool water, leaving him gasping for breath and wondering what he'd done.

 

*

 

If Wufei had thought that they were going pack up and leave immediately following this exchange, he was sorely disappointed.

 

In fact, he was still trying to catch his breath and figure out what, if anything, had changed when there was a short, firm rap on the door. Wufei stood, suddenly, in response, eyeing the door suspiciously.  Without waiting for a response, the door opened and a man with dark brown, shaggy hair and piercing blue eyes stuck his head in.  He took the scene in silently, gaze purposefully skipping over Quatre, and said “You have other appointments.”

 

Duo waved in acknowledgement, eyes still focused on Wufei, like a puzzle he couldn’t quite figure out, but Quatre was quick to respond.

 

“It’s not as though we don’t have _time_ , Heero.”  His tone was more than a little sarcastic, and Wufei glanced between the two of them, puzzled by the mild animosity.  Duo seemed to find the whole thing vaguely amusing, but then, he seemed to find almost everything humorous, in some twisted way.

 

“Well not all of us are already dead, Quatre, so we don’t have literal eternity to spend however we’d like.”

 

“Unresolved sexual tension,” Duo stage-whispered to Wufei.

 

“I don’t fuck corpses,” Heero said, bluntly.  “I’ll send in the next petitioner.”

 

“That’s rich, coming from you!” Quatre called, haughtily, but without any real heat as Heero shut the door with perhaps more force than was strictly necessary.  He moved languidly off to the side, draping himself over a chair in the corner where he and Duo could clearly see each other but he wouldn’t be immediately noticeable to whomever came in the room.  He tilted his head to the side, eyeing Duo and Wufei consideringly.

 

“You should seat him next to you,”  he addressed Duo, “he’ll make an… interesting… impression.”

 

Duo narrowed his eyes at Wufei before nodding, and he moved quickly - too quickly, Wufei thought - sliding the chair Wufei had been sitting in across the floor and placing it next to his.  He motioned impatiently at Wufei, who took the seat warily, looking from one to the other.  He waited a moment, but nothing else was forthcoming as Duo resumed his own seat.  

 

Blowing his breath out through his nose he turned to Duo, annoyed both that he didn’t _know_ what was expected of him, and also that they hadn’t thought to tell him.  Not to mention the implication that he was there as decoration.  “What is it you want me to do?” he ground out.

 

Duo glanced at him, eyebrows raised.  “Nothing,” he answered.  “Sit there, look intimidating, and don’t speak to anyone, except me, and only if I explicitly address you.”

 

Well.  That was easy enough.

 

Hopefully.

 

In the end it was long and tedious, and Wufei was a ball of tense anxiety by the time it was done.  At first it had been interesting to watch, Quatre and Duo’s interactions changing depending on the visitor.  Often Quatre was invisible, but sometimes he moved to perch on Duo’s chair, or hover behind their visitor, and on one notable occasion he’d draped himself all over Wufei, ignoring the visitor completely, though Wufei had never managed to work out why.

 

Duo’s behavior was less mercurial, but he spent a lot of time casually touching Wufei, something he wasn’t accustomed to, which led to his gradual increase in tension, to the point where he began flinching when the long, pale fingers trailed across his skin unexpectedly.  Duo shot him a furtive, questioning glance, but Wufei firmed his jaw stubbornly and shook his head.  After that, the braided fae restricted himself to trailing his fingers lightly over Wufei’s exposed forearm on the chair, and after a while he was able to successfully ignore it.

 

Most of the people who came in wanted small things, bargaining for protections, territory advances, or trade agreements, and it finally dawned on Wufei that this was essentially Duo’s entire life.  He said no nearly as often as he said yes, though Wufei didn’t know enough about any of it to determine why, and the darkly amused edge he carried never faltered, regardless of the requests.

 

The only moment that gave Wufei any real concern occurred when when a tall, blond man arrived, smiling condescendingly and unbearably arrogant, for what became a very short meeting.  Duo’s face lost any trace of his casual amusement, instead affecting a look of extreme boredom as soon as the man walked in the door, and Wufei noticed that even Quatre looked perturbed and irritable.

 

“Zechs,”  Duo said, cooly.  “To what do I owe the… pleasure… of your visit?”

 

The blond, whom Wufei took for fae as soon as he got within twenty feet of them, looked slightly taken aback at the sight of Wufei sitting next to Duo, pausing to examine him closely.  “Acquired a new pet, I see.  Dare I ask if that means you’ll be more amenable to my continuing request?”

 

“I don’t keep _pets_ , as I’ve explained to you multiple times in the past,” said Duo, flatly, eyes flashing.  

 

Zechs hummed thoughtfully, eyes still on Wufei, who regarded him with disdain.  After a moment, he turned back to Duo, and said very formally, “Shinigami.  I’m here to bargain for possession of the werelion, Trowa, in your employ.”

 

Out of the corner of his eye, Wufei saw Quatre roll his eyes expressively, and he smirked at the exasperated look on the blond’s face.  

 

“Merquise,” Duo responded, just as formal, but still vaguely bored, “I’m not interested in anything in exchange for the werelion.  You would do better to cease asking.”

 

The tall blond fae nodded shortly, still eyeing Wufei speculatively.  “This one, then,” he offered, suddenly, “I’d like to propose a bargain for possession of him.”

 

Even Duo looked taken aback, though that was nothing compared to the degree of Wufei’s shock.  

 

Duo chuckled darkly.  “This one owes me a very large debt, as you can no doubt tell from his aura, and there is nothing you could offer me that would settle it.”

 

Zechs still looked far too interested in him for Wufei’s comfort, the hair on the back of his neck prickling.  He could feel the change crawling under his skin, knew his eyes were probably taking on a golden hue.  He closed them, taking in a deep, meditative breath, and blew out, the sensation of his beast washing away with it.  

 

When he opened his eyes, Zechs was looking at him in disbelief, and Duo was utterly smug, smiling darkly at the blond man, who whirled on his heel without a word, storming out of the room and, presumably, the club.  Duo turned to Wufei with an wickedly delighted smile.  

 

“Oh Wufei,” he purred, “we absolutely _must_ talk about that.”

 

Wufei was utterly bewildered.  “Talk about what?”

 

Heero and the bouncer from outside chose that moment to join them, shutting the door quietly at their entrance.  What he could see of the tall bouncer’s face looked mildly anxious, Heero equally concerned.  They were standing within inches of each other, Heero subtly in front of the other.  “What happened with Merquise?” he demanded.

 

Quatre laughed.  “The usual, up until he made a bid for Wufei.”

 

The bouncer turned narrowed eyes toward him, searchingly, and Wufei lifted a brow in response. He didn’t know what was going on here.

 

“You refused him?”  The gravelly voice questioned, visible eye never leaving Wufei’s face.  “What will that cost you?”

 

“Nothing,” Duo said negligently, standing to stretch.  “He couldn’t call Wufei’s animal.”

 

 _That_ caught the green-eyed man’s attention, he and Heero both gaping at Duo, who shrugged.  

 

Wufei was finally exasperated.  “Will someone _please_ tell me what on earth you’re all prattling about?”

 

Quatre sidled up to him, reaching out to touch his arm before thinking better of it, wrapping himself around Duo instead.  “Zechs Merquise is more commonly known as the Master of Beasts.  He considers shapeshifters and weres to be his property, especially if he can force their transformations.  He’s been attempting to ‘reclaim’ Trowa for years.”

 

Trowa was the bouncer, Wufei presumed.

 

“He forced my lion, once, and Duo paid a heavy price to keep me here,”  the man in question volunteered, looking both shamed and grateful.  

 

“How does he do it?”  Wufei questioned.  “I’ve never heard of such a thing.  I thought he was fae.”

 

Quatre and Duo exchanged telling glances.  

 

“You didn’t notice anything when he was looking at you?”  Duo questioned, carefully.

 

Wufei shrugged.  The others just stared at him expectantly.  “I felt my animal… respond, like something had prodded it.  But…” He paused, thoughtfully, “I control my beast, it doesn’t control me.”

 

“And you’ve never heard of the Master of Beasts?”  Quatre asked, with that same careful tone.

 

“Should I have?” he asked, mildly.  Trowa was staring at him in something akin to awe.  It was vaguely uncomfortable.

 

Duo snorted.  “It’s getting late.  We should go.  You can tell us more at home, I have a feeling it’s going to take a while.”

 

“I have a hotel,” Wufei protested, “I’m not going to your home.”

 

Quatre rolled his eyes again.

 

Duo gave him a harsh look.  “You’ve caught the attention of a very powerful being who wants to own you, pissed him off, and you practically reek of my magic, which will attract plenty of attention on its own.  You can’t go back to a _hotel_.”  His tone was disdainful, like one he’d use to explain things to a child.

 

Wufei would have been offended if he hadn’t been distracted by something Duo said.  “What do you mean I reek of your magic?”

 

Even Heero groaned.  “You don’t know enough to know what you don’t know.  How have you survived this long?”

 

Wufei was affronted this time, opening his mouth to respond, but Duo cut him off.

 

“Enough.  Let’s go, we can address it at _home_.  Heero, keep a close eye on everything, I don’t trust Merquise.”

 

The other man nodded briskly and left, eyeballing Wufei with frank irritation, Trowa trailing behind him.  As the tall were lion glanced back at him, Wufei caught sight of a trail of scars on the hidden side of the man's face, reaching from underneath the fall of hair all the way down to his throat.

 

That explained a lot, Wufei realized. He was clearly the survivor of a were attack, and that's where he'd gotten his abilities.

 

Duo stared at Wufei for a few moments, expectantly, before Wufei realized he was waiting on a response from him.  He considered the fae’s words, the fact that he had a lot of questions and nowhere else to get answers, and nodded, once, in acquiescence.  The braided fae looked vaguely relieved, turning to go.  

 

Quatre’s eyes trailed Wufei from head to toe, lingering suggestively and smirking.  “I’m _so_ glad you’re coming home with us, Wufei.”  

 

Wufei wasn’t sure he agreed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dia an bháis is Irish for - you guessed it - the God of Death.
> 
> Listen guys. I know. I KNOW. Wufei is in way over his head, and he clearly hasn't got a clue. Stick with me. It gets better I SWEAR and also you get to know the whys and wherefores of that. There IS a reason.
> 
> Heero is my favorite in this story. 
> 
> Zechs is literally never my favorite, and expect that to continue forever.
> 
> So! Here we are, at the end of chapter one! Thanks for sticking with it, and I hope it was at least mildly entertaining, and don't hesitate to leave comments/suggestions/faceplants in the comments!!! I appreciate every single one!


	2. Relent or Resist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wufei goes home with Duo and Quatre - more things are revealed, including what Wufei's animal is, and a few things about shifters even he didn't know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you're all enjoying this and I'm so happy to finally share it! The comments and encouragement have been amazing and thank you all! I hope you like this chapter and what it reveals :)

_ “I’ve lost the parts of me that make me whole”  _

_ \- Starset, Monster _

* * *

 

Duo shrugged off the long black coat he’d put on when they left the club, tossing it over the back of a high barstool in the lush apartment they’d brought Wufei to.  “Make yourself at home,” he called over his shoulder, barely pausing in his trek down the hallway to, presumably, a bedroom.  Or bathroom.  Hell, a torture chamber, maybe, Wufei had no idea, really.  Quatre had trailed after him, glancing over his shoulder at Wufei with a smirk.

 

Restless and irritated were probably the two best words Wufei could think of to describe his current emotional state.  He’d agreed to leave with the two of them from the club to return to this… obscenely opulent apartment on the top floor of a high rise, but he’d expected to be able to stop off and gather his personal items along the way.  Instead, Duo had sent one of his minions off to get it all, something Wufei felt was both impersonal and invasive, and as such he had nothing of his own at the moment, waiting for someone named Hilde to bring him his things.  Now the two of them had gone off on their own and left Wufei standing awkwardly in the middle of a well-appointed living room, unsure of what to do with himself.  He looked around, taking in the rich wood floors, tufted velvet sectional, and the massive painting dominating one wall which depicted, Wufei presumed, some sort of Biblical scene, given the odd combination of angels and violence.  

 

In fact, one of the angels looked remarkably like Quatre.

 

Finally, for lack of a better idea, he meandered over to the windows overlooking the city, gazing at the lights and life still crawling by, even though it was so late it was actually early.  Reflective movement in the glass caught his eye, and he turned to see Duo strolling back into the room, obviously having changed clothes.  Gone was the unrelenting black, in it’s place a deep green long-sleeved shirt and grey cotton pants.  He was barefoot, and he padded over to the refrigerator, leaning over to dig something out.

 

Duo looked alarmingly human, and Wufei resented it.  He’d liked the other man better when he looked so obviously otherworldly, making it easier for Wufei to remember why he was here and what he was doing.  

 

It didn’t help when Quatre followed on his heels in joggers and a tank top.  

 

The blond paused, eyeing Wufei speculatively, grinning at whatever he found there.

 

“What?” Wufei grumbled, aware that he was being unreasonable, and unable to really feel badly about it.

 

Violet blue eyes peeked up over the edge of the fridge door to look between the two of them.  Closing the door, he leaned against it, lifting up a bottle of water to take a few deep drinks, obviously content to watch the show.

 

Quatre never glanced back at Duo, just perched on the edge of the barstool still judging Wufei’s mood.  

 

“Someone’s feeling grumpy,” he sing-songed, still grinning.

 

“Shouldn’t you be tucking yourself into a coffin about now?”  Wufei snarked, turning back to the window.  “It’s almost dawn.”

 

Duo snorted.

 

“Oh no,” Quatre responded, lips curving into something a bit more lecherous, “I’m good for _hours_ yet.  Would you like to find out just how good my stamina is?”

 

Wufei rolled his eyes.  “I’d _like_ ,” he said, testily, “to get to the part where we help my clan.”

 

“I’m sure,” Duo drawled, coming around the edge of the bar to commandeer the seat next the his blond companion.  “But we are going to need just a tiny bit more information from you for that.  And then there are arrangements to be made of course.  Travel, accommodations, weaponry, the usual.”

 

A light knock at the door diverted their attention, and Quatre got up to answer it.  A dark haired girl with blue eyes and an edgy smile slipped through the door, carrying Wufei’s familiar travel bag.  She had his sword strapped to her back, he noticed, eyes narrowing.  She handed all of it off to Quatre without a word, though she winked at Wufei across the room.  Duo nodded at her questioning glance, and she left as silently as she’d come, Quatre locking up behind her.

 

When Quatre handed him his things, surprisingly without comment, Wufei unsheathed the sword just enough to confirm it really was his, the mark of his clan at the base of the blade.  When he glanced back up, Duo was watching him with new eyes.

 

“You any good with that?” the long-haired fae asked.

 

“I’m heir to the Clan,” Wufei answered, “of course I’m good with it.”  He hefted his bag, ignoring the vaguely consternated look on Duo’s face.  “Is there somewhere I can… I can put my things?”

 

Duo jerked his head towards the hallway.  “Bedroom’s the second door on the left, feel free.”

 

Wufei took a couple of steps in the direction he’d indicated before he paused, swallowing, suddenly uncomfortable. He turned back towards them, chewing on his question.  It had belatedly occurred to him that he hadn’t put any stipulations on his service, any limits on what they could ask of him and he didn’t know…

 

“Is it, ah…” he trailed off, face heating.

 

Duo looked confused, but Quatre was watching him with dawning comprehension and not a small amount of mirth.  The blond seemed to be preternaturally aware of his thoughts, and it unnerved Wufei.  

 

“Duo,” he purred, “he’s wondering if it’s a _private_ bedroom.”  

 

The fae’s face turned flat and hard, and Wufei realized, suddenly, that he’d offended him.  “I’m sorry, I-”

 

“I don’t take unwilling partners to my bed.  It’s a guest room.  Get settled, when you’re done, we’ll talk.”  He stood abruptly, moving into the kitchen again, dragging stuff out of the fridge.  

 

Quatre watched him for a moment before turning back to Wufei, his expression tight around the eyes.  “Lovely job,” he murmured, turning to follow the fae, hands sliding around his waist as Duo bent to chopping something on a wooden board.  He said something that not even Wufei’s excellent hearing could catch, and Duo stiffened in his arms, before relaxing with a sigh.

 

Wufei backed out of the living area, turning to follow Duo’s directions into a cool, masculine bedroom, face heated and chest constricted.  Sighing, he tucked his sword away under the mattress, and began unpacking his few belongings.  He’d left in a hurry, after all, grabbing only the bare minimum before he’d taken off in the dead of night.

 

All this waiting and talking was so frustrating.  All his life he’d been a man of action, quick and decisive, and now he was at the mercy of others and forced to slow down, wait on them for timing and decision making, and it rankled.  Badly.  And he was behaving poorly as a result.  He’d been gone, already, over a month, searching for the infamous fae, and he knew, realistically, that one more day would make no discernable difference, but it was one more day his clan was being held captive.

 

One more day of terror for Meilan.

 

He trudged back to the kitchen, settling himself on a barstool, eyes on his clasped hands.  “I apologize,” he said, formally, “I didn’t mean to offend you.  I just don’t know what to expect from our… arrangement.  I left the details rather… open to interpretation.”

 

Wufei looked up at Duo’s snort, his earlier bad humor appeared to have evaporated.  “I’ll say,” the fae muttered.  A plate appeared in front of him, piled high with omelets and toast.  “Eat, then we’ll talk.”  

 

Wufei was surprised at the amount of food in front of him.  When he opened his mouth to say so, Quatre beat him to it.

 

“We’re familiar with the appetites of weres.  Trowa has been our guest on several occasions.”  Though the words were completely innocuous, the look in Quatre’s eyes made the whole thing seem vaguely obscene.  Wufei was beginning to realize he did it on purpose, gauging Wufei’s reaction.  

 

“I'm sure,” he returned, dryly, reaching for his fork.

 

The blond looked suitably disgruntled at Wufei’s lack of reaction, and it gave him a subtle sense of gratification.

 

Quatre liked to poke and prod, see what made people tick, Wufei realized.  It made his behavior at the club more understandable, in retrospect.  He was always testing, watching reactions, cataloguing responses.  Duo probably made good use of the vampire’s observations.

 

Wufei wondered what they’d discovered of him so far.

 

The thought made his appetite disappear, but he forced himself to eat the food they’d given him.  He vaguely recalled something from childhood stories about not eating the food of the fae, but Wufei figured he probably couldn’t dig himself any deeper than he already had.  Now that he’d had time to consider it, he’d basically handed himself over with no limitations or restrictions.  They hardly needed to enchant him with food.

 

He doubted they’d do it with eggs.

 

Pushing the now-empty plate away, he looked up to find Duo watching him expectantly, brow furrowed in concentration.  Quatre had wandered into the living room, staring out over the city from nearly the same spot Wufei had been standing in previously.  

 

Wufei wondered if he was watching the city, or their reflections in the glass.  

 

“Tell me about your clan,” Duo said, preemptively, before Wufei could decide what to say.

 

“I-” He didn’t know where to start, really.  “What do you want to know?”

 

“Anything.”  Duo said, intently.  “Everything.”  He gathered up their plates, turning to the sink.  Wufei found it easier without the man’s shifting blue-violet eyes watching him so closely.

 

He closed his own eyes, thinking, remembering.  “My clan… is a small village in China.  In the south.  Southwest.  We’ve lived there for… as long as any records go back.  Once we were large, and powerful… but now we’re small and isolated.”  He sighed.  “Even before the fae came, disrupting and ruining everything he touched, we were secluded and alone.  As the real tigers dwindled in number and humans grew in population, it became harder and harder to hide what we were.”

 

The small sound Duo made at the sink distracted him from his retelling.  

 

“...tigers?”  The braided fae’s voice was low, the tone odd.   Out of the corner of his eye, Wufei could see that Quatre had turned to look at him, a strange expression on his face.

 

“Yes,” Wufei answered, puzzled.  What had they thought he was?

 

“No one has seen a weretiger in over three hundred years,” Quatre offered, from the window.

 

That… couldn’t be right.

 

But, Wufei acknowledged, Master Long had been keeping the clan isolated for a long, long time.  All of Wufei’s life, and longer.  First for their protection, and after… well, for the protection of others.

 

“We have been alone a very long time,” was all he said in response.  There had been no new blood in even longer.  Meilan had been the first child born in Wufei’s lifetime, and she was many years his junior.  There had always been a strict restriction against biting outsiders.

 

Truthfully, Wufei knew, had known for a long time, that he was watching his clan slowly die out.  That he and Meilan were likely the last of the clan.  After she had been born there had been a time of celebration, and desperate hope, but that had passed quickly enough, once she had been taken.

 

Master Long had gotten even harsher, after that.

 

Duo cocked his head, leaning back against the countertop, arms crossed.  His eyes were trained over Wufei’s shoulder, at Quatre, and he looked back to Wufei, assessing.

 

He wondered what they were learning about him now.

 

“I’m the heir,” he added, abruptly, “and it is my responsibility to ensure our safety, our survival.  That’s why I’m here.”

 

“You’re nothing like any shifter I’ve ever met,” Duo murmured, still watching him.  “You can’t stand to be touched, for one.  And you keep saying that - the business about being the heir - like it should mean something to us, but it doesn’t.  You carry a sword, but I have never known a shifter to use a weapon.”

 

Wufei blinked in surprise, the after images of countless fights and merciless training flashing across his eyelids.  

 

“Long Clan tigers are warriors,” he scoffed, “we don’t cuddle.  And I’ve earned my place.”

 

“Fought your way to the top, have you?”  Quatre sidled up to Duo, tucking himself up next to the taller fae.  “So, I suppose you do know how to use the weapon you carry.”

 

Wufei snorted.  “I _am_ a weapon,” he muttered, eyes cutting down the dark hallway towards the guest room where the ceremonial sword was hidden.  He was a thousand times more deadly without it.  He’d brought it only as proof of his claim of heirship.  

 

Not that he’d needed it.

 

“The full moon is in a few days…” Duo trailed off thoughtfully.

 

Wufei made a derisive noise.  “I’ve never been beholden to the lunar shifts, nor have any in our clan.  Not in centuries.”

 

Two pairs of blue eyes blinked at him, surprised and… oddly hopeful.

 

It only took a moment for Wufei to work out the cautiously pleading look on Duo’s face.  

 

Sighing, he closed his eyes, calling on the warm rush of magic as familiar to him as his own breathing.  When he opened them again, it was from a much lower vantage point, the colors more muted than before.  Duo’s eyes looked closer to navy, rather than nearly purple.  The fae took a cautious step towards him and Wufei growled, low, in warning.  

 

The other man wasn’t intimidated, despite Wufei’s considerable size and obviously dangerous appearance.  Chinese tigers weren’t as large as Bengals, but he was easily twice Duo’s weight, with claws and teeth.  Duo crept cautiously forward, limbs loose and relaxed as Wufei watched him warily.  Long fingers reached out to trail, lightly, through the fur between his ears and neck, and the resulting transfer of magic left Wufei’s skin rippling under his fur, and he chuffed unintentionally in pleasure.  He leaned into the touch, inhaling the scent of the other man - damp soil and shady glens, the faintest scent of old blood, something about it speaking of home to him, which made no sense.

 

Shaking himself, Wufei sidestepped out of reach, huffing at Duo in reprimand.

 

The braided man looked delighted with his trick, wide grin stretching across his face.  

 

Wufei turned, padding towards the living room, farther out of reach, confused and off balance.  No one had ever touched him like that - gently, without intending to harm him - when he was in his tiger form.  He’d had a lifetime of battles, his memories of gentleness or comfort few and far between.  

 

Pacing restlessly, he watched the two of them, wary and cautious, but neither of them moved.  

 

Accepting the fact that nothing could be accomplished if he couldn’t speak, he allowed the rush of magic again, returning to his usual self, still eyeing them with reserve.  

 

“What was that?” he questioned Duo, who still looked overly pleased with himself.

 

“My magic _likes_ you,” the other man’s smile was a flash of sharp teeth, his eyes dark and considering.  

 

Wufei wasn’t convinced that was a boon.  “What other sorts of things does your magic like?”  He cut his eyes towards Quatre, who was giving Wufei a look that was more respectful than any he’d shown previously.

 

Duo hummed thoughtfully in response, stalking across the room towards Wufei.  “I’m Unseelie.  Dark Court.  My magic likes darkness and death, vampires, and weres.  Blood and battle.  Violence.”  Wufei shivered. Duo was within touching distance now, and he reached out, trailing his hand across exposed skin, that same electric sensation causing goosebumps along his arm.  “Sex.”  The other man’s voice was a sensual purr.

 

Wufei barely bit back the moan trying to escape his throat, eyelids fluttering.  He glanced sideways to find Quatre watching them, lazy lust on his face, and it was enough to remind Wufei of where he was, what he was doing.  Supposed to be doing.

 

He stepped back, away from the lingering touch, clearing his throat.

 

Quatre made his way across the room, every movement fluid and purposeful, until he was wrapped around Duo again, the two of them practically symbiotic as always, and Wufei could admit, in this, his moment of weakness, that they made a very attractive picture.  Especially now that Quatre was looking at him with something other than disdainful amusement in his eyes.  Something hotter, and more sensual.  Both of them were pale, ethereal, almost angelic in appearance, except for the looks on their faces, which spoke of something darker and hedonistic.

 

The kind of sin you’d be happy to participate in.  Would beg for, even.

 

He watched, unable to look away, as Quatre slipped his hand under the hem of Duo’s shirt, and Duo’s head lolled to the side, the blond vampire’s lips trailing along his throat.  Both of them watched him under heavy lids, inviting.

 

Wufei took another step back, heart thudding in his chest.  This was not something he was prepared for, had not even considered.  Chang Wufei had never run from a fight in his life, but tonight, in unfamiliar territory, battling feelings he hadn’t expected, he fled.

 

Neither of them followed, still entangled in one another as he made a strategic retreat to his bedroom.

 

*

 

When Wufei woke up it was embarrassingly late.  Granted, he’d been up until nearly dawn, and then lay awake in his room for God only knew how long before he’d finally drifted off.  Still.  He was accustomed to being an early riser, and when he rolled out of bed he knew, immediately, that it was early afternoon, at least, just from his own internal body clock.

 

He dragged himself off to the bathroom, to wash his face and brush his teeth, so that by the time he made his way into the living area of the condo he felt almost alive again.  

 

Which was good, because the werelion from the night before was reclining casually on the couch with a book, catching him off guard.  The other man never looked away from the page, though, just murmured a greeting as his eyes scanned the page.

 

Wufei padded through to the kitchen, still watching Trowa from the corner of his eye as he puttered around for something with caffeine in it.  Locating a kettle and a sad, lone teabag, he set about making himself a cup, still leery and hesitant.  The silence wasn’t uncomfortable, really, but Wufei was unsure and strained, and finally he blurted-

 

“Where are Duo and Quatre?”

 

Trowa looked over the top of the book at him with raised eyebrows.  “You didn’t-” he stopped, cutting himself off.  “Still in bed, I assume, seeing as it’s a bit early for them.”  He went back to his book, but Wufei could tell his attention was divided now, between the pages and himself.  He sighed.

 

What had Trowa started to say?

 

“You assumed I’d gone to bed with them,” he realized, discarding the used bag, turning back to Trowa with a disbelieving look on his face.

 

The other man shrugged.  “You’re a were.  We rarely sleep alone.  And they can be very convincing.”

 

“What does being a were have to do with anything?”

 

Trowa put the book down with a sigh.  “Heero’s right,” he decided, “you really don’t know anything at all do you?”

 

Wufei glared at him, not that it seemed to phase the tall man.

 

Then again, he’d survived a shapeshifter attack, he probably wasn’t easily intimidated.

 

Trowa uncoiled himself from the couch, strolling into the kitchen, stopping just outside Wufei’s personal space.  “How do you feel?”

 

Brow furrowing, Wufei stared at him in confusion.  “What do you mean?”

 

“You’re away from your clan.  Alone.  How do you feel?  Twitchy?  Like your skin is crawling and you can’t relax?  Irritable and- well, scratch that, I think you’re always irritable.”

 

Wufei nodded, ignoring the jibe.  He did feel all of those things, but they weren’t unfamiliar feelings to him.  “Your point?”

 

“Do you sleep alone when you’re with your pack?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Trowa looked surprised at his answer, short and uninformative though it was.  “Why?”

 

“Why wouldn’t I?”

 

Trowa huffed a laugh, and it sounded shockingly like being at home amongst his clan, when they weren’t too wary, too wound up for laughter, like the chuff of a large cat.  “Let me show you?” he questioned, and Wufei nodded hesitantly.

 

Slowly, so slowly, Trowa got closer to him, easing him into an embrace, until Wufei was wrapped loosely in his arms, head leaning on his shoulder, surrounded by warmth and relaxation.  The other man smelled good, like hot grass and dry earth, and after a moment there was a faint rumbling in his chest, almost- but not quite- a purr, and Wufei immediately felt the tension in his body drain, drowned out by the feeling of friendly care and concern.

 

Wufei hadn’t known what he’d been missing.  

 

They stood like that, in the kitchen, for a long time, long enough for Wufei’s tea to go cold before Trowa retreated, in small increments, leaving Wufei bereft but more comfortable in his skin than he’d felt in a long time.  He felt energized, too, and more rested.

 

“Weres aren’t meant to be alone,” Trowa murmured, staring at him with green eyes flecked with gold, and Wufei got the distinct impression of his cat, staring out at him from behind a human facade.  He almost didn’t notice the scars tracking across the side of the other man’s face, evidence of what he was, how he had come to be.

 

“Is it always like that?” Wufei croaked.

 

Trowa's eyes crinkled. “No. It would be better with your pack, your own kind.”

 

Wufei couldn't even imagine it, a circumstance where anyone in his clan went to another for comfort or allowed such visible weakness.

 

“Even moreso with a mate,” the other man murmured, eyes fixed on Wufei's.

 

Another impossible scenario. Wufei had been alone a long time, would be alone for a long time to come. Forever, probably.  He had accepted it already, but this was the first time he felt the lack.

 

After a few more minutes, Trowa turned back to the living room, curling up on the sofa with his novel.  “You should go back to bed,” he called back to Wufei.  “You’re going to be on a night shift schedule for a while.  Might as well get used to it.”

 

He considered it.  The tea was even more unappealing now that it had gone cold, and there was clearly nothing for him to do here.  Not to mention, he was the most relaxed he’d maybe ever been, so sleep would probably come easily.  Decision made, he dumped the tea and rinsed the cup, heading out of the kitchen towards his bedroom.

 

A noise further down the hall distracted him though, and he took a few steps in that direction, curious and concerned.  Trowa had said the others would sleep for a while yet.  

 

The last door on the left was open, just a few inches, and Wufei paused outside the door, gazing into the room. It was nearly pitch black inside, just a bare strip of light from the partially-open door shining inside, but there was just enough illumination for Wufei’s excellent night vision.

 

He caught sight of the smooth play of muscle beneath pale skin, long hair draped down a bowed spine. A shuddering moan reached his ears and he was suddenly, viscerally aware of just what he'd almost barged in on.  His face heated and he swallowed thickly, backing away on silent feet and hurrying back to his bedroom.

 

So much for falling asleep easily, with that imagery burned into his brain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many many many thanks, always, to ChronicWhimsy for the beta and Maeve and Clara for the eternal cheerleading.
> 
> Hilde is here! She has - surprising no one - an angsty backstory!
> 
> Wufei is going to continue to bungle for a bit longer, but it gets better very soon. He's not a total idiot guys. Just ignorant of anything that isn't his Clan. I mean look, he's already figured out just how badly he's screwed himself!
> 
> Wufei is a South China Tiger, which are smaller than Bengals with distinctive markings. They're now extinct, except in zoos, sadly :( 
> 
> Not that it matters, but I imagine Wufei's clan to be somewhere in the Guizhou province, near Qianxinan.
> 
> Trowa ALSO has an angsty backstory. But I like him as Mentor!Trowa here :)
> 
> More reveal to come in the next chapter!!!


	3. Seven Devils

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A boring train trip is livened up by roving bands of bad guys and the occasional innuendo. Wufei finally gets to go out and play, and Duo and Quatre reveal a little bit more about what they've been up to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has it all - action, adventure, roma- no, no, not romance. Some grisly death and a little bit of blood and the tiniest bit of sexytime, but it's not romantic.
> 
> Warning for violence, but nothing more than you'd see in the average paranormal thriller, I think.

_“See I was dead when I woke up this morning, I’ll be dead before the day is done.”_

_\- Florence and the Machine, Seven Devils_

* * *

 

When Duo had informed him they’d be doing most of their travel by train, Wufei had been unimpressed.  The press of stale, sweaty bodies, uncomfortable chairs, and no room to move or stretch sounded like hell to a were used to privacy and solitude.  Wufei had traveled by train before, of course, many times, and hated it every time.

 

When he’d said as much to Duo and Quatre, they’d smirked at him, a look he was quickly growing weary of, and Duo had responded “Not like this, you haven’t.”

 

He’d been skeptical, even before he’d seen the gleaming engine and cars that were obviously not typical passenger cars.  When they’d boarded, though, the interior looked more like an expensive hotel than a train.  Then they’d been directed through the train to one of the rear-most cars, which was set up like business suite, with dining, lounge areas, and guest rooms.  It was outfitted in rich wood panelling, ornate upholstery, and silver tea service.

 

Duo had been right, he’d never travelled on a train like this one.

 

He was pleasantly surprised by his sleeping car as well, which continued the opulent decor, a single bed and three piece bath still sumptuous and comfortable.  It was a pleasant change from the cramped red-eye flight they’d taken to Paris to board the train, both Quatre and Duo looking pale and sickly the entire flight.

 

The novelty wore off rather quickly, however.  The train stopped every night for the passengers to have ‘a restful night's sleep’ which meant they only _moved_ during the day, when Duo and Quatre retreated to their own sleeper car, where Wufei presumed they’d done something to the windows to block the light, and Wufei tried to sleep through the motion of the cars over the rails and his own growing irritation.

 

The vampire and fae got off the train every night at every stop, doing gods only knew what, leaving at dusk and coming back just before dawn, looking feral and sated.  

 

Eight nights into what Quatre revealed was a three _week_ journey, Wufei finally snapped.

 

“This is taking too long,” he hissed, as they were getting up from a dinner Duo had only picked at and Quatre hadn’t touched, stretching languidly and clearly planning to leave the train as they had at every other stop.  Duo paused, turning to look at him, eyebrow raised in query.  “There are a dozen faster ways to get back to China, not the least of which would have been a train which _didn’t_ stop every single night, making it take twice as long to get anywhere, and while you are out _sightseeing_ , my people are suffering.”

 

Luckily their dining car was a private affair, and Duo had sent the servers off at the beginning of the meal, so they were quite alone.  Quatre snorted at Wufei, but he didn’t respond, eyes cutting towards Duo, who sat back down.  He waited as the long-haired fae eyed Wufei consideringly, and, after a moment, rolled his eyes.  “I’m going to get changed,” he muttered, turning to leave.  “Do _try_ not to give away all our secrets in one go,” his voice floated over his shoulder as he left the room.  Duo’s attention was firmly fixed on Wufei.

 

“Do you know _anything_ about the fae or vampires, or really, anything supernatural, besides your own kind?”  Duo finally asked, lips pursed.

 

Wufei paused, racking his brain.  “Not much,” he admitted, “just old legends, stories, the things you tell cubs to scare them into good behavior.”  That was how he had known to look for Duo, he didn’t say, tales of Shinigami had been used to frighten children even in his own youth.  “Don’t accept fae food, don’t tell the fae your name, don’t look vampires in the eye.  That sort of thing.”

 

The braided fae sighed.  “Strengths? Weaknesses?”

 

Thinking harder, Wufei offered, “Silver? Uh… crosses? Stakes?”

 

“Jesus Christ,” Duo grumbled, tugging a gold crucifix out of his shirt, dangling it for Wufei’s view.  The Chinese man had the grace to look abashed.  Clearly, crosses could be marked off the list.  Duo tucked the crucifix away again.  “Suffice to say that the fae aren’t particularly fond of iron, and vampires don’t care for silver, and therefore travelling in a _metal box_ has quite a few downsides.  We have to be able to get off the train periodically, to rest, rejuvenate.  Eat.  Planes are even worse, thousands of miles off of the ground with no connection to the earth.  Cars, just as bad as trains, and more difficult to stay inside during the day.  While I realize that you think we’re wasting time, if you want us to arrive in our best form in order to help your family, this is the best way.  Not to mention, there’s _business_ to take care of along the way.”

 

He stood, abruptly, as Quatre re-entered the room, Duo’s long black duster in hand.  He shrugged into the coat, the two of them sauntering out, Quatre turning to give Wufei a sour look as they left, his fingers twined loosely with Duo’s.  He tugged Duo to a stop at the car exit, pulling the slightly taller man close, tugging his face down for a very thorough kiss.

 

Wufei couldn’t tear his eyes away, his pulse speeding up as he watched them, Duo relaxing into the touch, Quatre’s hands stroking suggestively along his back and arms.  They separated slowly, and even Wufei could see Duo was less tense than he had been.  They left without a word to Wufei, though Quatre smirked meaningfully at him on their way out the door.  

 

They had only been gone five minutes when his curiousity got the better of him.  What business could they possibly have had at _every_ stop between Paris and Budapest?  Snagging his own jacket, he slipped out the door behind them, easily tracking their scent from the train station.

 

Tigers were excellent at stalking their prey.

 

*

 

Stalking them turned out to be incredibly tedious.  They flitted from bar to restaurant to crowded street corner with no seeming rhyme or reason, and Wufei couldn’t be sure if they were aware of his presence and toying with him, or if there was some underlying purpose to their excursion that he was unable to discern.  

 

They weren’t always together, either.  Sometimes Duo would wait at the bar, all casual nonchalance, whilst Quatre perused the crowd, and they’d leave together with no words exchanged.  Other times Duo spoke quietly with someone on the street, Quatre hovering behind him looking casually homicidal.  In one instance Wufei followed them into an impromptu club in a ruined building, where they spent the entire time grinding together on the dance floor before they escaped out the back and he nearly lost them.

 

And then, suddenly, it wasn’t tedious anymore.  

 

Wufei very nearly, idiotically, stumbled into the middle of what was rapidly escalating into a nasty confrontation, simply because he’d gotten lax following Duo and Quatre through the back alleys of Budapest.  He only just caught himself in time, slipping into an unoccupied crevice near the alleyway where a group of men were stepping out, looking dangerous and confrontational, surrounding the pair.  Wufei wondered, briefly, if he should intervene, but neither Duo nor Quatre looked particularly concerned, so he hung back, observing.

 

He wasn’t disappointed.  

 

A pair of flashing blades appeared in Duo’s hands, almost by magic, as they dropped from sheaths under his sleeves, and he spun them menacingly, firming his grip.  Quatre produced a similar pair, grinning.

 

“Here, kitty kitty,” he taunted. “Come out and play.”  

 

Wufei jerked, sure Quatre was talking to him, and he almost revealed himself, but one of the men growled, a low rumble, and Wufei realized, suddenly, that these weren’t men, they were weres, some kind of big cat, and now that he’d made the connection, he took a deep breath, testing the air, confirming his suspicions.

 

_Lions._

 

They smelled like Trowa, but… not.  Corrupted in some way that Wufei couldn’t place.

 

The first werelion lunged, transforming as he moved, and the others followed suit, shifting and leaping, but the whole thing was over almost before it began.  Duo and Quatre moved in tandem, nearly too fast for even Wufei to follow, smooth and fluid, practiced, and he could tell they’d done this before, a thousand times, and within moments all of the attackers were on the ground, unmoving, and probably dead.

 

He counted six, and something about that didn’t seem right.  He glanced around, convinced there was a missing man.

 

_There._

 

In the shadows to Wufei’s right, one of the group had obviously decided outright fighting was a lost cause and was taking the coward’s way out.  Wufei sneered.  

 

Then he saw the glint of metal and realized the man had a blade in his hand, lifting it to throw, and he reacted, unthinking, with a roar of rage for the spineless, weak scum, his hand lashing out, claws extended, and the man was on the ground, his head bent at an unnatural angle and missing most of his throat.

 

Unfortunately, he hadn’t been quite fast enough to stop the throw, and when Wufei turned, a dagger handle was sticking out of Duo’s back.

 

The two of them were looking at Wufei appraisingly, though Duo’s face was paler than usual and pinched, clearly in pain.

 

“Look what the cat dragged in,” Quatre muttered.

 

“Enough with the cat jokes,” Wufei snapped, wiping his hand off on the edge of the dead werelion’s coat.

 

Quatre snorted, turning back to Duo.  He reached for the handle of the knife, drew his hand back with a hiss when he grabbed it, Wufei catching sight of a nasty burn.

 

“What is it?” Duo ground out, his voice low and breathy.  Wufei suspected the knife had punctured a lung and he wondered if that was an injury the fae could heal quickly from.

 

“Silver,” Quatre snarled, scowling.

 

“Doesn’ feel like it,” Duo responded.

 

“I can-” Wufei started, taking a step in their direction.

 

Quatre glared at him, reaching back up, his hand still an angry-looking blister, and gripped the hilt of the knife, grinding his teeth against the pain, and yanked the blade out of Duo’s back, dropping it on the ground.  The blade was dark, with blood, but Wufei thought the metal itself was darker than usual.

 

Duo took a deep breath, then coughed.  There were flecks of blood against his lips.

 

“Are any of them still alive?” Quatre asked with disgust.

 

“No,” Duo answered, shortly.  Wufei wondered how he knew.

 

The blond vampire sighed.  “I can’t do anything for you like this.  I need-”

 

“I know,” Duo said, shortly.  “We’ll go back to the train.  I’ll heal.”  He stepped over the body nearest to him, Quatre falling in step beside him.  Duo jerked his head at Wufei.  “C’mon, you can stop followin’ us all over town.  And grab that knife.”

 

Wufei did as requested, wiping the blade off on another dead man, and held it up to the light.

 

The handle might have been silver, but the blade was forged from iron.

 

*

 

Back on the train, Duo moved to collapse in a chair but Quatre stopped him with a snarled, “No you don’t, not until I get a look at your back.”

 

Duo rolled his eyes, but he shrugged off his coat and began unbuttoning the black shirt he’d worn out.  Neither of them paid Wufei any mind, so he retreated to a seat in the corner, observing quietly.  When the cloth fell away, there was a deep wound in the middle of Duo’s back, to the left of his spine, sluggishly dripping blood, the skin around it purpled and bruised, deep red streaks branching out to the surrounding, healthy tissue.

 

It looked almost infected.

 

Quatre huffed a sigh through his nose.  “If I went back out-”

 

“No,” Duo cut him off, immediately.  “Someone’s been doing their homework.  You’re not going back out there alone.”

 

“I’m perfectly capable of finding dinner without an escort,” the blond grumbled, prodding at the wound, making Duo hiss.  “And then I could take care of this for you.”  

 

“It will heal on its own in a few days.”  Duo looked weary, either with the argument or the wound, or a combination of the two.  “And anyway, your hand-”

 

“Is fine!” Quatre interrupted, though Wufei could clearly see it was still red and blistered.  “Though going back out would fix that too.”

 

The two of them fumed at each other in silence, clearly in disagreement.

 

“What is it you need?” Wufei questioned, warily.  

 

Both of them turned to look at him, surprised, as though they’d forgotten he was there.

 

“Blood,” Quatre answered, finally, blunt and unapologetic.  “I am a vampire, remember?”

 

Ah.  There was the usual sarcasm.

 

“How much?”  Wufei asked, ignoring the tone.

 

They blinked at him in puzzlement.

 

“Not much,” Quatre finally answered, looking at him thoughtfully.  “Why?  Are you offering?”

 

He was considering it, truth be told.  It didn’t help him to have the two of them injured. And the last time hadn’t been… unpleasant.  “Maybe.  If you explain what you were doing in the first place.”

 

Duo and Quatre exchanged glances, and the long haired fae sighed.  “The werelions you saw have been attacking humans, unprovoked, trying to build a pack from any survivors who turn.  They killed a family outside of town, including the children.  We frown on that sort of thing.”

 

Wufei nodded shortly.  That was entirely honorable.  And fit with the stories he’d been told of Duo before he’d found him, or, rather, of Shinigami.

 

“Is that what you’ve been doing this entire time?”

 

Another glance, clashing shades of blue.

 

“For the most part,” Duo answered, cautiously.  “We also gather information.”

 

“Information on what?”

 

“People trying to kill us,” Quatre responded before Duo could.  “If you’re offering, I’m interested.  If you’re not, I’m going back out.”  His tone was final, and it was clear he’d made his decision.

 

Wufei considered it only for another moment before he made his as well.  “I’m offering.”

 

Duo looked relieved.

 

But the look on Quatre’s face was… somewhat alarming.  

 

He looked sensual, and predatory, and a half dozen other things that sent Wufei’s pulse skittering, but for all the wrong reasons.  Where he should have felt at least some mild trepidation, mostly his heart was in his throat in anticipation.

 

Or lust.

 

Wufei cleared his throat.  “What are you doing to me?” he croaked.

 

“Nothing…” the blond responded, sauntering closer.  “Yet.”  He tugged Wufei up out of the chair, nudging him forward as he circled around, his arms trailing up Wufei’s bare ones, to his short sleeves, and then across his shoulders, tilting his head just so.  

 

Duo had sat himself in a chair, his shirt thrown back on but unbuttoned, and was now watching them, eyes half lidded, his gaze fixed on Wufei’s.  

 

Cool lips ghosted across his throat, and Wufei swallowed, convulsively, his heart jumping.

 

He opened his mouth to speak, say something, anything, just as Quatre opened his own and-

 

As intense as it had been in the club, it was doubly so now, Quatre’s mouth on his throat, Duo’s eyes on his face, and he _knew_ he moaned, and only Quatre’s arms wrapped around him were holding him up as he panted, knees weak.

 

Quatre released him, with a soft kiss and flick of tongue along his throat.

 

“You are absolutely _delightful_ ,” the blond murmured, and stepped away, pausing briefly to make sure Wufei was going to stay on his feet, before he sauntered back over to Duo.  The braided fae looked amused, though his expression was still tight around the eyes, obviously pained. Quatre held his hand out for examination, Duo stroking over it lightly as he explored the now-pristine skin.

 

He smirked up at the vampire.  “Nicely done, though you could take it a little easier on him, _la petite mort_.”  He lifted the hand to his lips, kissing the inside of his wrist.

 

“It doesn’t-” Wufei cleared his throat, “it doesn’t always feel like that?”

 

Quatre threw a grin over his shoulder as he clambered onto Duo’s lap, straddling him.  “It feels however I want it to feel.”  He winked.  “Think of it as a thank you.”

 

He leaned down, brushing his lips over Duo’s, light nibbling kisses quickly morphing into something deeper and more explorative, and Wufei knew he should get up, should leave and go to his sleeping car, but he was still feeling languid and slightly disconnected, and he found himself unable to tear his eyes away from the erotic display.  

 

Duo’s hands rested easily on Quatre’s hips, the vampire trailing his own fingers over Duo’s neck, shoulders, and chest, exploring exposed skin as the kiss lengthed, the familiarity between the two of them easy to see.  Only when Duo was relaxed into Quatre’s embrace, his head drooping against the chair back, hands stroking lightly up and down his sides sides, did Quatre draw away, trailing his mouth along exposed jaw, down a pale throat.  

 

Wufei felt his own breathing speed up in response.

 

He knew the exact moment Quatre broke skin, Duo arching up suddenly, his hands spasming, a stuttering groan falling from his lips.  Wufei was afraid to move by now, unwilling to draw attention to himself, distract them, remind them he was there, so he sat, still as a stone, breathing heavily, feeling like a voyeur.

 

Then their magic swept him up in a cool rush, leaving him panting for entirely different reasons, as Quatre pulled away, head tossed back, hips rolling, riding the same surge of power Wufei was experiencing.

 

It was dark and cool, simultaneously inviting and ominous - it reminded him of twilight, when the sun was setting and darkness was falling and he was at his best, when the day creatures hid in their dens and the things who crept at night came calling.  It recognized and welcomed him and Wufei was ready to pitch himself head first into the feeling.

 

It felt like home, only it was a home Wufei had never experienced.  

 

Washing over him and then ebbing away, he was left gasping at the absence. “What was _that_?” he groaned, rolling his head from where it had fallen back against the wall, to stare at Duo and Quatre.  He felt at once sated and exhilarated, relaxed and energized.  

 

Duo hummed thoughtfully as he looked over at him, Quatre draped across him comfortably, feet dangling over the arms of the chair they were in.  “What did it feel like?”  The two of them had a familiar sloe-eyed look Wufei recognized but hadn’t known the source of before.

 

Wufei felt vaguely punch drunk.  “It felt…” He didn’t quite have words to describe the sensation.  “It felt like…”  He frowned thoughtfully.

 

“Like an invitation,” Quatre offered, looking at him like he’d suddenly got a lot more interesting.

 

Wufei nodded.  It _had_ felt like an invitation, not that it made any more sense in that context.

 

Duo made a small noise of surprise, glancing at Quatre, who shrugged.  The vampire levered himself out of Duo’s lap, perching on the armrest of their chair, both of them watching Wufei carefully.

 

Resting his chin on his fist, Duo trailed his eyes across Wufei thoughtfully, and while it was frankly appraising, the intent behind it felt more curious than sexual.  “What is it about you that my magic likes so much, Chang Wufei?”

 

The use of his name gave him a tugging sensation in his chest, a gentle reminder that he’d sold everything but his soul to the two of them in exchange for their help. The thought should have rankled.  But, they were helping him, and they hadn’t asked for anything in return, yet.  Certainly nothing he wasn’t willing to give.

 

He lifted a shoulder in response to the question, not trusting himself to speak.  Truths always seemed to come tumbling out when Duo asked him questions in that tone.  

 

“It likes Quatre well enough,” he offered, finally, when he felt sure of himself again.

 

Duo barked a laugh. “It does,” he agreed, “but that's a special case.”

 

“What's special about it?” Wufei asked, curious, wondering if he would finally get some insight into the two of them.

 

“It prefers him alive,” Duo responded, lips twisted in mirth. Quatre snorted a laugh.

 

Wufei stood, moving towards his sleeper car, intending to go to bed. Obviously his curiosity was going to go unassuaged.

 

As he passed by the chair Duo and Quatre were draped over, however, he found himself boxed in, Duo suddenly pressed flush against him, mouth hovering over his.

 

“My magic generally prefers dead and dying things,” he murmured, and Wufei wondered that he could make something so morbid sound so erotic, “but you're so alive you practically glow.” He closed the minuscule distance between them, lips coasting over Wufei's as Quatre’s hands crept along his hips, thumbs ghosting under the hem of his shirt.

 

Lips caressed the back of his neck, Wufei gasping against Duo's lips in response, and the taller man took advantage, sliding his tongue into Wufei's mouth, leisurely exploring.

 

He groaned, his heart pounding in his chest.

 

Duo was trailing nipping kisses along Wufei’s lips and jaw, Quatre pressed against his back, when the magic made another appearance.  It was less of an overwhelming rush this time though, and more inquisitive prodding, tendrils of it wrapping around him, almost a physical sensation.  

 

Wufei shivered.

 

“Oh, yes,” Duo purred, “it likes you very much.”   The exploration continuing, making Quatre shiver as well.  “I’m dying to know why.”

 

Wufei was too, and it was his immediate, positive response to Duo’s words that jolted him out of his daze.  He retreated, disentangling himself from their arms, short of breath and flushed.  “I, ah-” He swallowed hard.  “I’m going to bed.”

 

“That’s just what we had in mind,” Quatre smirked at him, moving into the space Wufei had vacated, wrapping himself around Duo.  “You’re welcome to join us.”

 

It took most of Wufei’s considerable willpower to back out of the lounge car and lock himself in his own compartment, riotous emotions keeping him awake for what felt like hours before he finally nodded off.

 

His dreams were muddy and disjointed, flashes of dark forests, laughing violet and coolly amused blue eyes, before he jolted awake in a rush of liquid pleasure, toes tingling and ears ringing, coming in a rush heralded by the now-familiar feel of magic.

 

He scowled down at his soiled sleeping pants.  

 

Wufei was convinced they’d done it on purpose.  He glared at the closed door, as though they could see him, before he hauled himself off to the small en suite shower.

 

When he collapsed into bed afterwards he was still disgruntled. Waking up hours later, groggy and disoriented, to Duo’s face in the doorway where he’d rapped his knuckles against the wood doorframe, did nothing to improve his mood.

 

“What?” He groused, rubbing his eyes.

 

“Someone isn’t a morning person,” Duo grinned down at him.

 

“It's not morning. And you wouldn’t be either if-” Wufei cut himself off, abruptly.  He needed more caffeine for this.

 

“If?” Duo questioned, looking at him innocently.

 

Too innocently, in Wufei’s opinion.  “Nothing,” he muttered, sitting up to stretch, the sheets slipping down to his waist, leaving him just this side of decent.  When Duo’s eyes trailed the path the sheet had taken, Wufei was at least gratified to know he wasn’t the only one who could be distracted by a show.  He leaned back and propped himself on an elbow to look at the fae, his own expression as nonchalant as possible.  “Did you want something?”

 

If he’d hoped to discomfit Duo, he was sorely disappointed.  The other man smiled slowly, propping his shoulder against the doorframe, eyes like hot brands across Wufei’s exposed skin.

 

“Well,” the braided man began, “I came to see if you wanted to go into the city with us tonight, instead of skulking along, following our trail.  You proved yourself pretty good in a fight.  But if you’re suggesting other activities, I’d be more than happy to stay in and explore our options.”

 

Wufei felt a feral grin cross his face.  

 

“Please tell me that smile is for option B,” Duo muttered.

 

Wufei snorted. “Hardly.” He flung the sheets back and climbed out of bed, much to Duo’s delighted surprise.

 

Unfortunately for the braided man, Wufei dragged clothes on in a hurry, anxious to get off the train and do something useful, something physical, something that made him feel like all the time he was taking to get back home wasn’t a complete waste.

 

When they went into the city this time, there was much less dithering around.  Wufei wasn’t sure if that was for his benefit, or if they’d simply been toying with him last time.  Regardless, rather than the haphazard approach Wufei had witnessed previously, Duo was forceful and demanding, exuding a dark air of danger.  Both Wufei and Quatre hovered over his shoulders, Wufei scowling meaningfully, whilst Quatre looked like he would happily gut someone.

 

It didn’t take them long to stir up trouble, another gang of weres - something Wufei found troubling, as he didn’t think that was typical shifter behavior, even with his limited exposure outside the clan - surrounding them in a dark parking lot, half of them armed with the wicked little knives of the preceding evening.  

 

Unluckily for them, the three men they were trying to subdue had arrived alert and prepared for the possibility.

 

Duo caught the first flung blade mid-throw, plucking the handle out of the air almost carelessly and tossing it aside.  “You’ll have to do better than that,” he growled, throwing himself into the fray.  

 

Wufei easily relieved two others of their knives, their brutal wrestling style of fighting making it clear to him that they were accustomed to their speed and strength compensating for the lack of any real skill.  

 

It was too bad he had all three in equal measure.  Within moments they were both on the ground, one unconscious, and the other writhing in pain from a wound to his side he wouldn’t be getting up from anytime soon.  Weres were notoriously fast healers and Wufei had long ago learned how to injure accordingly.  

 

When he looked up, all of their attackers were on the ground, most unmoving, Quatre quietly picking at his nails.  He had a deep gash on the side of his face that was healing as Wufei watched, impressed.

 

“Are any of _these_ still alive?” he asked, negligently.  

 

Duo cocked his head, uninjured as far as Wufei could see.  “Oh yes,” he answered, “Wufei has oh-so-helpfully left us two for questioning.”  He hauled the two weres up to a sitting position, producing a length of rope from his pocket and restraining them handily.  The first one that Wufei had disabled was starting to wake up, groaning.

 

Duo crouched down in front of them, waiting for them to focus on him.  The one Wufei had injured so grievously was panting for air and glaring at the dark-eyed fae.  “Do you know who I am?”  Duo questioned, his voice smooth as silk, almost nonchalant.  He ignored the still-reeling second man.

 

Pursing his lips, the first were refused to answer.  

 

Duo grinned maliciously. He reached out, trailing his hand along the shifter’s exposed forearm.  The wound in his side which had been almost healed reopened, nearly as bad as it had been when Wufei had ripped into it with his claws, and the man hissed in surprised pain.  

 

“Have you ever had any other injuries?”  Duo questioned, ponderously.  “Any old boo-boos that might be uncomfortable if they came back to haunt you?”  Another glancing touch, and a slash appeared along the man’s cheekbone.  Duo tutted.  “How about you?” he questioned, turning to the bleeding man’s compatriot.  He reached out but the man flinched away, his face a mask of dread.  

 

Duo hummed thoughtfully. “You don't like to be touched? How very un-shifter of you. Or,” he tapped his chin, mocking, “maybe you just don't want to be touched by me.”

 

The were was sweating by now, eyes flicking back and forth between the three men standing over him. His bleeding friend still looked mutinous.

 

“Maybe you'd prefer a… different touch.”  Duo glanced over his shoulder at Wufei and Quatre. “Perhaps you'd like Quatre better?”

 

The blond took a step forward, flashing a smile that was all sharp teeth and anticipation.

 

The man in question shook his head, frantically.

 

“No?”

 

Quatre subsided, his disappointment palpable.

 

“Wufei then? He's a shifter. Would you be more comfortable with him?”

 

Arching his eyebrow, Wufei looked disdainfully at the man, who swallowed audibly, still shaking his head.

 

Duo stood and crossed the few feet between their prisoners and his companions, examining the dagger he'd taken from one of the dead shifters thoughtfully.  After a moment he grinned, the expression anything but joyful. “Maybe,” he ventured, still speaking to the anxious man on the ground, “you'd like to spare yourself a lot of unnecessary pain and tell us who sent you looking for us, gave you these wonderful toys?” He was tossing the knife over and over, the silver handle flashing every time it left his hand.

 

The man opened his mouth, but they would never know what he'd been about to say. The other shifter, the one Wufei thought too gravely injured to do much more than sit there and bleed, surprised them all.

 

He shifted, the transformation tearing at his bonds as he struggled to break free and lunge at Duo. He writhed, snarling and snapping, and before Wufei could move to intervene, he was surging forward, knocking his packmate to the side, headed directly for the fae man before him.

 

Wufei tensed to leap, but Duo strode forward, palm out, and stopped the half-shifted beast - another lion, from the looks of him - in his tracks, hand flat against his chest.

 

Magic rippled through the air, all of the playfulness Wufei was accustomed to absent, icy and sharp, and the werelion froze, deflated in front of Wufei's eyes. He took one, last gasping breath before he withered in on himself and fell to the ground like a mummified husk.

 

Wufei blinked, mildly horrified.

 

Quatre was apparently familiar with the circumstances because he paid it no mind as he moved to check on their other prisoner, hefting him halfway up before dropping him to the ground with a sound of disgusted frustration. Wufei glanced over to see that their attacker - either by accident or design - had broken the man's neck in his frantic efforts to kill Duo.

 

“What a waste,” Quatre grumbled.

 

Wufei found himself agreeing.

  
  
What secret could possibly have been worth dying like that?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MULTITUDES OF THANKS to ChronicWhimsy for the beta, and to Maevemauvaiuse and ClaraxBarton for the cheerleading.
> 
> I based the train VERY vaguely on a combination of the Orient Express, and a luxury train that travels through Canada (and really does have wood paneling and all those bits. It looks amazing, someone take me.
> 
> I'm clearly playing around a bit with both fae and vampire lore, please indulge me.
> 
> OK so comments, speculation, keyboard smashing I WELCOME ALL OF IT. You guys are definitely keeping me going here, so feel free to braindump anything in the comment section!!! Thank you all so so so much for reading!


	4. Bad Intentions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wufei finally gives in to temptation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is strictly a smutfest. There is very VERY little plot-related anything here, so if that's not your bag, I'll throw anything important at the end of chapter notes for you.

_ “I’ve got some damn bad intentions, I got some secrets I forgot to mention.” _

_ \- Niykee Heaton, Bad Intentions _

* * *

 

 

As they made their way back to the train Duo was indescribable.  Evanescent and darkly ethereal, nearly everyone gave them a wide berth, even those who had no discernible magical quality.  Wufei, on the other hand, felt strangely drawn to him, the tantalizing brush of his magic an almost constant presence.  Quatre, too, couldn’t seem to stray far from his side, reaching out to touch and brush against him at every opportunity.

 

He exuded a kind of evocative wickedness that was nearly irresistible.

 

They were barely inside the compartment when Duo rounded on Quatre, pressing him against the closed door, ravishing his mouth, hands clenching his hips.  Quatre moaned, arching into the touch, and Wufei’s breath left him in an intense rush just looking at the two of them.  They were so close he could have reached out and touched them and his hand twitched in an aborted desire to do so.  

 

But no.

 

He was alone, as he had always been, except for a few rushed encounters that had been more about release than pleasure.

 

Normally that was how he preferred it.  If he didn’t let anyone close to him, they didn’t have the opportunity to betray him.

 

But watching Duo and Quatre move together in perfect harmony, he felt left out.

 

Lonely.  

 

Painfully so.

 

He was starting to turn, to head for his own sleeping compartment, when the familiar tendrils of magic reached out, more intense than usual, curious and encouraging.  He made it a bare half step before it was wrapped around him, teasing and tempting.  

 

Quatre broke away from the kiss, turning his head to look at Wufei, his blue eyes piercing despite the half-lidded haze of lust on his face.  Duo trailed his mouth across his now-exposed throat and Quatre lifted his hand to Wufei in invitation, beckoning him.  

 

Wufei had a moment of hesitation during which he tried to come up with a convincing argument not to accept their offer and failed miserably. All his long life he had always had to be wary, distrustful of those around him.  But here were two people offering him something with no ulterior motive that he could discern.  It would be pleasurable and easy and would cost him nothing.  They’d not harmed him, had in fact fought beside him, were helping him help his people.

 

He had no idea if or when the opportunity would come up again, and he couldn’t think of a single reason he shouldn’t take them up on it.

 

Taking a step forward, he took the hand Quatre held out, allowing himself to be drawn into their embrace.  The touch of their hands on his bare skin evoked a flash of magic across his body, goosebumps trailing in its wake, and he gasped in surprised pleasure. Quatre tugged his head down, their mouths meeting, the kiss playful and teasing and entirely unlike what he would have expected from the vampire.  When it ended he dragged his mouth across Wufei’s smooth jaw and down his throat, pressing a reverential kiss over his pulse point before continuing downward, across his collarbone.  

 

“Let us take care of you,” the blond’s words caressed his skin, spoken low and sensuously, “why be lonely when you could be appreciated?”

 

Again the uncomfortable impression that Quatre could read his mind, but Wufei couldn’t bring himself to get worked up over it, suffused in pleasure and welcoming magic, Duo’s hands stroking across his lower back, mouth on the back of his neck.

 

It was fantastically overwhelming.  

 

He was vaguely aware that they were moving, Duo navigating all of them towards their larger sleeping compartment, shutting the door behind them, and then Wufei was turned around to face Duo instead.  His eyes were a vivid indigo, still exuding that same sense of dark charisma.  Wufei lifted his face and Duo covered his mouth with his own, the kiss intense and forceful, Wufei responding in kind, reaching up to bury his hands in the fae’s hair.  Quatre was behind him now, pressing their bodies together, his hands delving in between them to unsnap and unzip various articles of clothing.  

 

His arms coaxed down, Wufei was divested of his shirt, followed smoothly by his pants, and he reached to help Duo out of his clothes as well.  

 

Breaking off their kiss, Duo glanced over Wufei’s shoulder with a smirk, tugging Quatre close as well, kissing him too, and Wufei took it upon himself to strip the blond while he was otherwise occupied.  When they were all naked, Wufei drank the sight of them in, with not a little awe.  

 

They were both pale and lithely muscled, Quatre’s skin perfect, Duo’s marked by the nearly faded whorls of old burn scars along one side of his back and flank.  Wufei reached out to touch them, fingers tracing along the edges, where he knew from experience the skin would be particularly sensitive.  Duo moaned in response, his hand fumbling out to draw Wufei close, all three of them pressed, rubbing together, their fingers dragging over Wufei’s own numerous battle scars.

 

Duo tumbled them onto the bed, drawing Wufei up on his knees between the two of them, his erection pressed against the small of Wufei’s back, hot and damp, his hands trailing around his body and down his chest to grasp Wufei’s cock.  

 

He gasped, even as Quatre’s mouth quested down his chest, pausing to bite gently at his nipples, Duo’s hand moving tortuously slow as Wufei panted, staring down at the blond head working its way across his stomach.   He dragged his tongue across the old scarring on his side, a reminder of what a tiger’s claws could do, Wufei shuddering in response.  Quatre grinned up at him as he did it again before continuing on his path, finally reaching Wufei’s weeping erection, still gripped firmly in Duo’s hand.  

 

He swiped his tongue across the head-

 

“Ah!”

 

-and Duo released his cock as Quatre’s mouth engulfed it, replacing one excruciating pleasure for another.  He reached to bury his hand in soft locks, entranced by the sight of the blond head bobbing up and down his length, looking for all the world like he was enjoying his favorite treat.

 

Duo groaned from just beside his ear, chin resting over his shoulder, obviously enjoying the same view.  Wufei could only moan in agreement.  

 

Duo disappeared, for just a moment, leaving Wufei to Quatre’s tender mercies as he rummaged in a drawer, then he was back, stroking his hands along Wufei’s back and hips. Wufei heard the snap of a plastic cap, and knees nudged at him, pressing his thighs further apart as one hand steadied his hip.

 

Warm, slippery fingers pressed against him, circling his entrance gently, almost teasing and Wufei moaned again, hips jerking in response, Quatre humming around him.

 

“Oh my god,” he groaned, letting his head fall back.

 

Duo hummed in agreement, pressing a kiss to the side of his neck as he slid a finger past the tight ring of muscle, Wufei arching into his touch, panting.  Quatre swirled his tongue around the head of his cock in response, making his hips jerk. He had the faintest impression of laughter from the vampire, a kind of gentle vibration that felt divine before Duo slipped another finger inside of him, scissoring them apart, prodding inside of him for that place-

 

Wufei made a garbled, strained sound, bucking between the two of them as Quatre redoubled his efforts and Duo searched out new, inventive ways to make him swear.  He barely even noticed the third finger until Duo was using them to massage that sensitive place inside of him, gently, sending bolts of lightning to his brain.

 

Wufei gasped for air, unable to articulate anything coherent, so close to the edge he could practically _taste_ it, until Duo removed his fingers, and then he made a needy sound of protest, reaching back for the braided man.

 

Quatre did something miraculous with his mouth and throat, swallowing Wufei all the way down-

 

Just as Duo pressed into him from behind, blunt head of his cock working its way into his body, sliding smoothly, brushing against oversensitive nerves, stretching Wufei deliciously.

 

Then he slid out and back in, a sharp snap of his hips, rocking against Wufei’s prostate, forcing him deeper into Quatre’s throat and Wufei was lost to sensation, leaning back against Duo’s chest as the man pounded into him and he was sliding in and out of Quatre’s mouth.  That mouth drove him crazy with it’s habitual smirk, now stretched around him, Quatre’s eyes heavy lidded and lust filled, Wufei’s hand buried in his hair. His other hand reaching around to tangle in Duo’s hair as well, letting the two of them drive him into oblivion.

 

Duo shifted position, just slightly, and it was enough, more than enough, the direct stimulation shoving him over the edge forcefully, and Wufei came with a strangled cry, Quatre swallowing him down, satisfaction etched on his face.  Duo managed a few more thrusts before he came, shuddering, his forehead pressed against Wufei’s neck as he panted.

 

They stayed like that for a few minutes, unmoving, Duo still buried inside him, before Wufei’s thighs were trembling in fatigue and Duo eased out of him, maneuvering him into lying down, trailing fingers up and down his back.  

 

His toes were still tingling.

 

When he opened his eyes, Quatre was reclined back, hand languidly stroking over his own erection watching the two of them.  The sight gave Wufei an immediate jolt of lust, his cock giving a half hearted twitch, as though he hadn’t just come harder than he ever had before in his life.

 

Quatre smirked at them, giving himself a firm squeeze.

 

Duo echoed the groan Wufei made.

 

The braided man crawled across the bed to his blond lover, kissing him forcefully, pressing him down on the bed next to Wufei, who reached out to stroke across bare skin, tweaking nipples.  When Duo broke off the kiss and immediately headed south, Wufei leveraged himself over the blond to take his place, thoroughly exploring Quatre’s mouth, barely able to taste himself, the thought making him moan again.

 

Quatre broke away with a gasp, arching up, and Wufei lifted his head to look, finding Duo’s mouth sucking Quatre down to the base, one of the most erotic things he’d ever seen.  He watched for several long strokes, Duo's hands disappearing beneath pale thighs, before turning his attention back to Quatre’s mouth, kissing him and nipping at his lips, neck, and chest, tongue laving over pink nipples. The vampire writhed under their combined attention.

 

It didn’t take long for Wufei’s erection to return with a vengeance, leaving him rock hard and eager.

 

Duo released Quatre’s cock with a wet sound as filthy as it was erotic, reaching to tug the blond up to straddle his thighs, Wufei following after them, mouth dragging across any skin he could reach.  He found himself pressed against Quatre, Duo stroking both of them with one hand as they kissed, Wufei thrusting against the small of Quatre’s back.

 

Quatre broke the kiss, his head falling back onto Wufei’s shoulder.  “Fuck me,” he breathed, and Wufei felt his cock jump in response.  He glanced over at Duo, who passed him a tube of lube, tugging Quatre higher up onto his lap.  The blond’s head dropped forward, his mouth coasting along Duo’s throat, as Wufei reached for him with lube-slicked fingers.

 

A warm hand grabbed his wrist, dragging it back to his own erection, and Wufei looked up, confused, even as he automatically coated himself.

 

“Already done,” Duo panted, his other hand still stroking along his and Quatre's erections, “he’s ready.”

 

Quatre moaned again, arching. “So ready,” he groaned, reaching for Wufei.

 

Dropping the tube, Wufei moved up behind Quatre, lining himself up, and pushed forward, sliding past slight resistance, pressing slowly, so slowly, inside the other man.

 

“Please please please please-”. Quatre groaned, his forehead on Duo’s shoulder, fingers digging into his skin.  “Fuck fuck fuck please!”  Duo slowed his pace to match that of Wufei, and it was clearly driving their bedmate crazy.

 

Pleasantly so, Wufei hoped.

 

When he was in the blond as deep as he could get, he paused, taking deep breaths, trying to give Quatre time to adjust, trying to resist the urge to just slam into his tight, warm body.

 

Quatre made a nonsensical sound, pressing back against him, writhing between the two of them.  

 

Wufei pulled back, just a little, and slid back in.  Quatre moaned his approval, so he did it again.  And again.  His thrusts built up speed, until he was pulling almost all the way out and slamming home, rocking Quatre’s body into Duo with every motion, the other man tugging forcefully on their cocks, the heads red and weeping.  Wufei leaned forward, mouth meeting Duo’s clumsily, Quatre opened his mouth against Duo’s neck, and Wufei suddenly realized what he was about to do but had no time to brace himself as the bite set Duo off, causing a chain reaction of explosive magic and intense pleasure.

 

Duo groaned a heartfelt “Fuck!”, Wufei was bowled over by the intense wave of power and sensation, pistoning his hips against Quatre as he came with a shout, fingers clenched, one hand on Quatre’s hip, the other one on Duo’s as they all exploded together, Wufei’s mind sucked into a soundless void as he emptied himself, shaking, all pretty lights and the most intense pleasure of his life.

 

He was relatively certain he blacked out for a few seconds.

 

When he came to he was was draped over Quatre, Duo’s hand buried in his hair, all of them panting and clinging to each other.

 

Slowly, so slowly, they separated, Wufei easing out of Quatre, Duo wiping the two of them down, and then Wufei found himself tucked up between them in their obscenely large bed, eyes drifting closed in exhaustion, strangely comforted by the presence of the two of them bolstering him.

 

His last conscious thought was that maybe Trowa was right.

 

*

 

Wufei woke as his bedmate - one of his bedmates - shifted, moving to get up, and he reached out, fingers trailing over warm skin. His companion turned back, sliding closer, and a mouth slanted over his, slow and deep, a leisurely kiss, before turning away again and slipping out of bed.

 

“What time is it?” Wufei rasped. The room was nearly pitch black, even for him, confirming his suspicions that they'd done something to the windows, but he could feel the now-familiar motion of the train as it travelled down the tracks, which meant it wasn’t yet night.

 

Duo chuckled low, the sound sending a zing down Wufei's spine. “Late afternoon. Close to five. Why? Do you have somewhere to be?”

 

Wufei snorted in disbelief.

 

A dim lamp clicked on, and he shut his eyes against the glare for a moment before opening them again and looking around. Duo was pulling a black robe over his shoulders and tying it. Other than the trail of clothes they'd left behind, the room was neat as a pin and bathed in a warm glow. He shifted, brushing up against the other man in bed with him.

 

Quatre was stretched out on his stomach, head pillowed on his arms, the sheets rucked down around his waist, revealing a wide expanse of alabaster skin for Wufei's perusal.

 

Duo followed the path of his eyes and laughed again. “Don't get any ideas, he’ll be out for a while yet.”

 

Wufei sat up, reaching out a hesitant hand. “Is he-” he trailed off, unsure.

 

A raised eyebrow, expectant pause, and then Duo snorted. “What, dead?”

 

Nodding uncertainly, Wufei glanced between the two of them.

 

“Did he seem dead last night?” The words were accompanied by a cheerful leer.

 

Wufei’s blush was hot and immediate.

 

Duo grinned at him. “Quatre was born a vampire, not turned. He's not dead. Well, not quite. He even has a heartbeat, if you listen long enough.”

 

“So,” Wufei paused, thinking, “if he's not dead, what is it about him that your magic is attracted to?”

 

Duo sat in a nearby armchair, making himself comfortable. “My magic likes the dead and _dying_ , and really, everything is dying isn't it? But even though Quatre isn't dead, he's closer to it than you are, anyway. Vampires and Unseelie have a long history together.”

 

Wufei nodded. That made sense. “Is that why you're together? Is that common?”

 

Duo scoffed. “There's nothing usual or common about Quatre and I.”

 

“Well, I meant-” Wufei started.

 

“I know what you meant,” Duo waved a hand casually, “but no, our relationship isn't typical.”

 

“So then how- _why_ , do this?” Wufei gestured vaguely at them.

 

Duo smirked. “Aside from the obvious,” he paused to gaze meaningfully at Wufei, still lounging comfortably in their bed, “Quatre is unusual even among vampires.  There's a lot of benefit to our partnership.”

 

“Unusual in what way?”  The conversation was a bit circuitous, but as long as Duo was willing to answer questions Wufei was interested in learning what he could.

 

“As if being high-ranking nobility wasn’t enough, he’s clairvoyant as well.  It’s really too bad someone tried to have him killed.”

 

Wufei’s eyes widened.  “Nobility?  And you saved him?  Is that why…”

 

Duo laughed again, levering himself off the chair, crawling across the bed towards Wufei, short-circuiting his train of thought.  “Oh no,” Duo purred, “they sent me to kill him.  It just so happened that they weren’t entirely honest with me, and he was so very _convincing_.”  His mouth slid across Wufei’s again as he pressed him back into the pillows.  The kiss went on long enough that Wufei almost forgot what he’d been asking by the time Duo nipped his way along his jaw and down his throat.  “Besides,” the other man murmured, “I was a Faery prince, a lifetime ago. Or something like one, anyway.”

 

Wufei started in surprise.

 

Lifting up to look at him, Duo took in the expression on his face with amusement.  “You didn’t know? I thought that was in all the stories.”  He bent his neck to re-apply his mouth to Wufei's throat. “Of course,” a warm hand slid up his thigh, “you're the heir to something-or-other, that makes you pretty important, hmm?”

 

Wufei's intended yes came out as a shuddery moan as the wandering hand stroked higher before it wandered off.

 

“I got up to get us something to eat, because I thought you might be hungry.” Lips danced over his ribs and stomach. “But suddenly I'm in the mood for something else.”

 

Wufei arched up, fingers clenched in the bedding, as Duo's mouth engulfed him in hot, wet suction.

 

“God!” he gasped out, Duo’s teeth scraping oh-so-slightly against the underside of his cock as he drew up with slow, firm suction.  Wufei’s eyes rolled back, his whole body taut, jaw clenched, totally focused on the incredible sensation below his waist as Duo continued his gradual torture with long, drawn-out strokes. Finally, Wufei snapped, hands scrabbling for the other man, tugging, demanding relief. Duo released him, pulling himself up and over Wufei, that fantastic mouth sloping over his, their bare skin coming into contact from chest to hips, Duo’s robe shrugged off at some point Wufei hadn’t noticed.

 

Groaning at the slide of their bodies together, Wufei thrust up into the cradle of Duo’s hips, their erections bumping, Duo grinding back down in response, tongue thrusting in his mouth in imitation of their movements.  

 

They rocked together, movements gradually getting rougher and more frantic, until Wufei tore away from the kiss, panting, orgasm washing over him in a flood of scorching pleasure as he groaned, hands gripping Duo, back arching. The other man was only moments behind him, a warm spill over Wufei’s stomach, collapsing on top of him, breathing heavily, Wufei absentmindedly stroking his back.

 

When he turned his head, he met sleepy blue eyes, Quatre’s face filled with banked lust and amusement. He was still draped on his stomach, but he’d turned his head to look at them. “Good morning to you too,” he mumbled, obviously not quite ready for the evening yet.  “What a way to wake up.”  He yawned, hugely, eyelids drooping.  “Remind me to get a repeat performance later.”  And then he was out again, eyes closed, face slack.

 

Duo chuckled above him, the vibrations jostling Wufei, reminding him of the sticky mess currently drying between them.

 

They needed a shower.

 

*

 

Wufei spent the remaining two weeks of the trip more in their bed than out of it.  After the first night he’d tried to go back to his own room and been coaxed into another very satisfying encounter with the two of them.  It happened twice more before Quatre had finally just looked at him and asked why he even bothered to try to go to his own compartment anymore, and Wufei had given up.

 

He slept better with them anyway, and carefully ignored any implications other than Trowa being right about shifter behavior.  

 

As he got closer to them, they relaxed their guard around him more, and Wufei started seeing sides of both of them he hadn’t expected.  

 

Quatre was far less callous than he appeared, playful and with an easy smile in the privacy of their rooms.  No less sexual, though, Wufei found.  One morning he spent hours using his mouth to trace every scar on his body until Wufei was panting and nearly incoherent, Quatre murmuring about how he wouldn’t have any of them if he’d been there to help. Then he’d fucked him until Wufei could barely remember his own name.

 

Nevermind that the scars were a mark of honor in his clan.  Quatre seemed to take them as a personal affront.  

 

Duo, too, had previously undiscovered shades to his personality.  More than just morbid amusement and violence, he tended towards bouts of introspection and melancholy that Quatre coaxed him out of with teasing smiles and, unsurprisingly, sexual favors.  Favors that Wufei was often an all-too-willing participant in.  But he was also deeply concerned about the people - supernatural or otherwise - around him, often going out of his way to assist if he could. Without drawing undue attention to himself.

 

Wufei discovered things about himself, too.  Sleeping between the two of them was relaxing, allowed him to let his guard down in ways he hadn’t done in years, if ever.  He was well-rested and calm, his beast sated, less on edge.  As a result, he found himself more able to enjoy their company, to tease and banter with them readily, his own dry sense of humor meshing well with their more outlandish personalities.

 

It was… nice.  

 

He learned a little more about what they could do, as well.  Quatre sensed emotions, rather than thoughts, a trait that was enhanced by touch.  He could manipulate the people around him, to some extent.  Duo’s abilities were centered around death and decay, and although he wasn’t very forthcoming, Wufei got the impression he’d only seen the barest hint of what the fae could accomplish.  He learned that neither of them was a healer - they simply used their bond as a conduit to share power and their natural healing abilities between them.  

 

Overall, Wufei was extremely content for those last few days of the trip, easing into a gentle camaraderie with the two of them, their days spent in bed, nights in various cities along their route, ferreting out information and taking care of problematic members of the supernatural community as they cropped up.  They weren’t ambushed again, although on two separate occasions they caught sight of another werelion watching them warily.  

 

“Leave him,” Duo had said, negligently, “what’s he going to do?”

 

Later, Wufei couldn’t help but feel the words had been prophetic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, all the thanks to ChronicWhimsy for the beta, and Maevemauvaise and ClaraxBarton for the eternal cheerleading. Honestly I don't know why they put up with my pitifully low self esteem. Love you guys.
> 
> Pertinent bits from this chapter for those who skipped the smut:
> 
> Quatre isn't dead - he was born a vampire and not turned, and there's a lot of history between Vampires and the Unseelie court
> 
> Quatre is clairvoyant, a high ranking noble in the vampire community, and someone hired Duo to kill him. Duo, clearly, didn't do that.
> 
> Oh and Duo is a Faery prince SURPRISE. Or he used to be.
> 
> The very end is just a bit about their personalities and powers, fleshing out their characters beyond sexy vampire and mysterious fae. If you scroll back up you can catch that part, it's pretty close to the end.
> 
> Oh and they let a werelion that was following them go, and that might have been a mistake. 
> 
>  
> 
> For those that read the whole thing - I hope you enjoyed this fluffy and nearly pointless smutfest, because the next chapter is when things head south and they get dark and gritty and full of important plot points and probably angsty so. Sorry about that. Sort of.


	5. Reign Down Hard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys finally make it to Wufei's village, but it's not at all what they were expecting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is not a happy chapter. There are lots of plot things here, and huge reveals, but it's not happy and this is where the story pretty well takes a turn for the dark and gritty.

_ “I don’t want this no more, I feel you slay my soul apart.” _

_ \- Niykee Heaton, King _

* * *

 

 

Three days after their departure from the train, Wufei and Duo were walking through a twilight forest less than half a mile from the boundaries of his ancestral lands.  The intervening days had been frustratingly difficult, the complication of traveling at night getting increasingly harder to accommodate as the villages they came to became more rural.  Finally, at the small town so tiny and isolated as to barely be called a village closest to Wufei’s home, Duo had shouted Quatre down and refused to allow him to go further with them.

 

Quatre had been incensed.

 

But Wufei couldn’t guarantee the vampire a safe place to sleep even in his village, and approaching the boundaries after dark was guaranteed to find them in an intense fight for their lives.

 

As it was, Wufei couldn’t be sure of a warm welcome.  He’d left against Clan edict, after all, and he was bringing a stranger back with him.  He’d brought his concerns up to Duo, hesitantly, after they’d left the inn Quatre was currently stewing in, only to be waved off negligently.

 

“I wasn’t exactly getting the feeling that your people welcome strangers.”

 

That was an understatement, but Duo had sidestepped any more of his concerns.

 

Now, Wufei was leading the two of them towards the entrance to his home, anxiety knotting his stomach.  It hadn’t helped that Quatre had been adamant that he had a bad feeling about the whole thing, a sentiment Duo seemed to take very seriously.

 

As they got closer to his home, Wufei was beginning to get his own very bad feeling.

 

They moved forward slowly, on their guard but not threatening, Wufei alert for any possible attack.  He should be, would be, easily recognized, and as far as he knew, he was still Heir, although he supposed he could have been banished, but even if he hadn’t, that wouldn’t preclude an attack as he entered the area.

 

In fact, he was expecting one, because what better way to get rid of him than to attack him as he returned and claim it an accident?

 

The sword was strapped prominently on his back for that very reason.

 

Duo had watched him strap it on with amusement before they began their trek, but Wufei had retreated into his typical, stoic shell, and had been unable to do more than grimace in response.  Long fingers had ghosted over Wufei’s hand, a bare squeeze of support, then they’d started off.

 

The surrounding area was disturbingly silent.  It did nothing but ramp Wufei’s anxiety up more as they got closer.  There was no sign of an attack, a greeting, anything or anyone, and they should have long since been challenged by _someone_.

 

Something was wrong.

 

Very wrong.

 

Two more steps and Duo’s hand was wrapping around his wrist, halting him.  “Wait.”

 

Wufei turned back, questioning.

 

Duo’s head was turned, off center, his eyes closed, like he was listening to something he couldn’t quite hear.  When he opened them, they were a stormy indigo, and he looked pained.  “We should go back.”

 

Wufei blinked at him in surprise.  “What? Why?”

 

Grimacing, Duo shook his head.  “It’s… there’s no one left here, Wufei.”

 

Confusion.  Shock.  Wufei gaped at him in incomprehension as the words worked their way into his brain.  “No,” he breathed, turning back towards his home.  Pulling his wrist out of Duo’s grip he took a few more steps further.  Behind him, Duo sighed, and Wufei heard him pick up his pace to keep up, following Wufei into the unknown.

 

The village was completely destroyed.  

 

Wufei stared, unable to look away, his own harsh breath and pounding heart the only sounds he could hear as he stared at the destruction.  Everything was burned to the ground, dark ashes and charred wood the only evidence that there’d even been a village.  His eyes roved, frantically, for people, his kinsmen, his _pack_.

 

Surely they couldn’t all-

 

He was staring at the sheen of white bone, under the blackened end of a wooden beam, vision narrowing to a pinprick when Duo stepped in front of him, hands on his shoulders, staring at him.

 

“Breathe, Wufei.”

 

The deep, jarring intake of air he took in response to the instruction - command - was painful.  It grated his dry throat and burned his empty lungs, but it was blessedly clean smelling.  He’d expected the scent of decay and death, but there was nothing but damp forest floors and dusty air.

 

“Again.”

 

Another deep drag of air, the spots on the edges of his vision clearing away as he took in much needed oxygen.

 

Duo stepped closer, forcing Wufei to focus only on him, his hands rubbing over his arms and shoulders.  “We should go, Wufei.”

 

Shaking his head frantically, Wufei tried to turn away, to move through what was left of his village.

 

His family.

 

The fae’s grip was unrelenting, however, and he couldn’t go anywhere.  

 

“Listen to me, ‘Fei.  There’s no one here.  We can- stop trying to pull away and listen to me- we can come back tomorrow night.  I’ll call Heero and he can come and we can find out what happened here.  But - _listen to me_ \- there is nothing here.”

 

Wufei tugged, half-heartedly, but even if he’d been trying, he doubted he could have broken the grip on his arms.  Duo was resplendent in the moonlight, practically glowing, alive and energized beyond anything Wufei had ever seen-

 

The realization that it was because they were surrounded by the death of the only people he’d ever known hit Wufei like a sucker punch.

 

Duo dropped his arms, his eyes on Wufei’s face, and took a step back.  “I’m sorry,” he offered, “if there was anything I could do-”

 

“How long?” Wufei croaked, looking, still, at Duo’s face, at the sad resignation he could see there.  He knew the other man would know, couldn’t possibly not know.

 

The other man swallowed.  “Three months,” he answered, “give or take a few days.”

 

Just after Wufei had left.  Maybe the very day he’d gone.  Maybe if he’d been here-

 

“No,” Duo cut him off, obviously seeing his thoughts on his face.  “No, there was nothing you could have done here either.  This is… I’ve only seen anything like this once before, and believe me there was nothing, _nothing_ you could have done.”

 

Wufei closed his eyes in shame.  “I could have-”

 

“Died,” Duo answered, eyes flashing.  “That’s all.  You would have _died_.”

 

“I would have died with honor!”  Wufei shouted back, his voice cracking with the pain in his chest.  He closed his eyes against the sight of his clan’s end.

 

Arms wrapped around him, hesitantly tugging him closer.  He breathed in Duo’s familiar scent.  

 

“Let’s go back,” Duo mumbled into his hair.  “I’ll call Heero.”

 

“How will that help?” Wufei grumbled into his chest, fingers clutched in the fabric of his shirt.  “What can Heero do about any of this?”

 

“He can ask them what happened.”

 

Wufei barely remembered the stumbling trek back to the village inn.  His shock was part of it, he was sure, but he was also totally preoccupied by the fact that Heero Yuy was a necromancer.

 

A _necromancer_.

 

They were the stuff of legends.  Wufei was admittedly inexperienced, but even Duo had admitted necromancers were rare, and ones of Heero’s power and talent almost unheard of.

 

And he could tell Wufei who had murdered his people.

 

Could give him his revenge.

 

Justice for his family.

 

Quatre took one look at the two of them - Wufei pale and shell-shocked, Duo grim and soaked in power - and swore in a language Wufei didn’t recognize.  Or he assumed it was swearing, given the blistering tone.

 

“What happened?” he demanded, looking between them.  

 

Out of the corner of his eye, Wufei saw Duo shake his head, subtly, in the blond’s direction, but Wufei refused to let it go unnamed.  “They’re all dead,” he spat, bitter and pained, the words carving further into his chest, gouging more at his spirit.

 

He had never felt so alone, despite having striven for solitude all his life.

 

Blue eyes blinked at him, wide with surprise, before he turned a narrowed gaze to Duo, who held his hands up defensively.  “It happened long before we got there,” the long haired man said, gesturing helplessly.  “I need to call Heero.”

 

Quatre gave him a short nod, turning back to Wufei, edging closer as he watched his face carefully.  When they were toe to toe, Quatre reached out, stroking his fingers lightly over Wufei’s face and shoulders, tracking his expression closely.  Wufei could feel himself releasing some of his tension under the careful ministrations and he took a half step back.

 

Unfortunately the other man followed him with his soft touches and concerned eyes.  

 

Out of the corner of his eye, Wufei saw Duo slip out of the room, leaving him alone with Quatre, and he had the ridiculous urge to run after the other man.

 

Which made no sense, because Wufei was still kind of mad at Duo for what had happened back in the village, and he was alone and angry and enraged and Quatre kept making him feel better and how dare he do that!

 

“Stop,” Wufei finally gasped out, and Quatre’s hands stilled, but he didn’t release him.

 

“Why?” he asked, tucking loose strands of hair behind Wufei’s ears.

 

“Because I-” Because he didn’t deserve it, because he wasn’t worthy, because he should have _been there_ -

 

“Oh Wufei,” the blond sighed, tugging him closer, wrapping him in an embrace.  “Let me help you relax, just for tonight, help you sleep.”  He drew Wufei towards the bed, picking at the buttons on his clothes.

 

“Tomorrow I’ll help you avenge your family.”  

 

The look in Quatre’s eyes was hard, determined, and of all the things he could have done or said, that was the one that offered Wufei the most relief.

 

“You’re not alone,”  Quatre said, coaxing him into the bed.

 

But he was alone.

 

“You’re not,” the other man hissed, furiously, tucking in next to him.  The stroking hands came back, soothing his brow and neck, and Wufei felt himself drifting off into an uneasy doze.

 

A little while later, Wufei heard the soft sound of a door sliding open and slipping closed, Duo’s familiar gait across the wood floor.  Quatre shifted, turning to look, and there was a moment of silent communication before Duo crawled into bed behind him, an arm wrapping hesitantly around his waist.

 

Wufei sighed, the last of the tension in his shoulders dissipating in the familiar embrace, and then he was asleep.

 

*

 

He woke up disoriented and alone, UV blocking fabric over the room’s solitary window, before the events of the previous night hit him like a sledgehammer, freezing his breath in his chest as the pain and rage came rushing back.

 

It only took him another half moment to realize Quatre had engineered the hours of sleep he’d had, forcing him to rest when he could have been out _doing_ something.

 

As though he’d been summoned, the blond poked his head through the room door, and, finding Wufei awake and sitting up, ducked inside.  As he approached the bed, Wufei spoke.

 

“Don’t touch me.”

 

The blond blinked at him in surprise, pausing uncertainly.  Taking in Wufei’s angry, mulish expression, he sighed in exasperation.  “Heero’s here.  So you can either sit here and pout because I did something that benefitted all of us, and you know it, or you can get up and come with us and find out what happened to your village.”

 

“You don’t understand-” Wufei began, hotly, kicking his way out of the blankets to stand at the side of the bed.

 

Quatre was suddenly standing right in front of him, eyes flashing, hands fisted at his sides.  “Oh really?  I don’t understand?  I don’t know _exactly_ how you felt last night?”  He stared Wufei down.  “The only person who knows better than me what you’re going through is Duo, and if you’d just shut up and let us help you-”

 

“I don’t want your help!” Wufei roared, all of his anger bubbling over, spilling onto the man in front of him, who didn’t even flinch in the face of his rage.

 

“You may not want it, but you need it!” Quatre shouted back.

 

“And what if something happens to you?” Wufei exploded, shocking Quatre into silence, revealing a depth of feeling he hadn’t entirely intended.  Maybe wasn't even aware of, before this moment. “What am I supposed to do then?”  The second part was quieter, more subdued, anguished.

 

There was a long moment of breathtaking silence.

 

“Are you two done screaming at each other now?” came an amused voice from the other side of the room.  Wufei and Quatre both jumped, turning towards Duo, who was leaning against the door with the air of someone who’d been watching and enjoying the show for quite some time.  Pushing himself away from the wall, he crossed the miniscule distance separating them, halting within touching distance, the three of them forming a loose circle next to the bed.  He reached out, tugging Wufei closer, planting a chaste kiss on his lips.  “We promised to help your family, remember?”

 

“There’s no one left to help,” Wufei responded, the words thick.

 

“You’re left to help,” Quatre argued, stepping closer, carefully keeping his hands to himself.

 

Instead, Wufei reached out, tangling their fingers together.

 

*

 

Heero was waiting in the foyer, Trowa standing silently beside him, when they trooped down the stairwell.  Wufei was still raw and on edge, following behind Duo, Quatre at his back, and he was unprepared for the look of intense sympathy Trowa gave him.

 

He turned away, unable to meet the other man’s eyes.

 

Here was another person who could probably relate to his distress.

 

The walk out to his village was done in the dark this time, as they were no longer concerned with catching the clan by surprise or causing them alarm, and the surrounding area was still almost unnaturally silent.  Though Wufei supposed that could be due to the five of them traipsing through the darkness.  

 

Wufei was once again in the lead, but Quatre was close behind him, his own eyesight as good or better than Wufei’s, Duo and Heero in the middle, talking quietly, and Trowa in the rear, alert for trouble.

 

Not that they expected any.

 

The village was just as desolate as they had left it, everything washed silver and grey in the moonlight, Wufei unable to stop looking for gleaming white reflection, speculating about what - or who - they were.  He waited, impatiently, as Heero silently walked the perimeter of what had once been the center of the village, occasionally backtracking, looking for what Wufei had no idea. He was barefoot and shirtless, except for a long, silver necklace, with some kind of twine wrapped around his head, and he looked nothing at all like Wufei had expected, more in tune with nature than focused on death Trowa stood off to one side, slouched against the remains of a wall, eyes completely focused on Heero.  

 

Quatre waited with Wufei, as patient and still as Wufei was anxious and fidgety, reaching out to touch him every time he felt that his desire for action almost got the better of him, soothing and calm.  

 

“It’s a process, a ritual,” Quatre finally murmured to him, when even his presence couldn’t keep Wufei’s impatience under control, when he was obviously, visibly agitated.  “Just wait.  It will be worth it.”

 

He subsided with a sigh, watching as the shorter man made yet another clockwise circle around the square.  

 

Glancing up, he saw that Duo hadn’t moved from where he was positioned opposite of Trowa, and Wufei realized with a start that he was watching Wufei rather than Heero, and that he’d positioned himself in such a way as to guard Wufei’s side and back.

 

Wufei found it strangely touching.

 

Finally Heero stopped, muttering something Wufei didn’t catch under his breath, and then there was a sudden flash of silver as he made a small nick on his palm.  The subsequent pause was like the whole world held its breath, not even the wind blowing, before blood from the wound hit the ground and everything seemed to _shudder_.

 

Nothing moved, but Wufei got the strange and disconcerting impression that something was waking up.

 

Something big.

 

There was a slithering sound like dry leaves and rustling grass, and Wufei watched, agape, as a swirl of dirt and dust and _bone_ danced in front of Heero, forming before his eyes into a _person_ \- a person he recognized.

 

“Master Long?” he croaked, staring in disbelief at the wizened old man who had both formed him and forced him, perpetuating the clan whilst simultaneously crushing the life out of it.  He’d been the head of the clan for longer than Wufei had been alive, longer than living memory.

 

And now he was standing in front of them, summoned by Heero, staring at the necromancer silently, waiting, oddly blank, not at all like the man Wufei had known.

 

Wufei took a step forward, but Quatre’s hand on his elbow stopped him.

 

“He won’t know you,” Quatre said, softly.  “He will only answer Heero.”

 

“Who are you?”  Heero asked, gruffly.

 

“Zi-ling Long, Master of the Shenlong Clan.”  The words were delivered completely without inflection.

 

“What happened to your clan, Shirin Long?”

 

The old man blinked, slowly.  “Epyon came from the mountains.  He brought the one who calls the animals.  We could not shift.  We could not fight.  He destroyed everything.”

 

“Where can we find this Epyon?”

 

“In the hall where the dragon sleeps.”

 

Heero asked the question several more times in a number of ways, but the answers were variations of the same.  Shaking his head he took a step back, turning to look at Duo.

 

The fae looked at the old man, at the obvious strain to Heero, at Quatre and Wufei who had nothing meaningful to add, and nodded at Heero.

 

With a sigh he turned back to the zombie, muttering more words that Wufei didn’t recognize, another slice with the knife, and whatever power he’d awakened slowly bled back into slumber, Master Long crumbling into dust at his feet.

 

Trowa was suddenly at Heero’s side, bolstering as he sagged, for just a moment, before straightening his shoulders and heading out of the village, the others forming a tight circle around him in unspoken agreement.

 

These were people who protected their own, Wufei now knew.

 

There was a lot of discussion on the way back to the inn, speculation about what Master Long had meant, questions about who or what Epyon was.  What this ‘hall’ was.  Wufei kept his answers minimal, almost monosyllabic, though he readily explained that yes, Epyon was the fae who’d been tormenting his clan.  Quatre asked Wufei if he thought Zechs was involved, but Wufei had only shrugged in response.

 

“I’d never seen him before the night I met you, so I couldn’t say.  Master Long never mentioned anyone who controlled beasts to me.”

 

Wufei was more than a little bitter about that.

 

No one asked him if he knew where the dragon slept, for which he was grateful.

 

Because he knew exactly where it was.

 

*

 

Meilan had been hailed, at birth, as the savior of the Clan.  There had been a wild hope that her birth would herald a resurgence within the ranks, that more children would follow.  They’d called her Nataku, after the warrior of legend, who had harbored and protected the clan for a thousand years.  

 

No more children had followed her, but the nickname had stuck, and her own feisty spirit had only seemed to confirm the legends.  Meilan would have been a fierce warrior, once properly trained.  Had already been rising in the ranks, before Epyon had taken her.

 

She had been in a field near their village, practicing her forms, guards watching at a distance, when a man bathed in light had appeared to snatch her out of thin air, disappearing almost in the blink of an eye, blinding the warriors who’d raced after him.  Weeks of searching had revealed a newly-carved cave into the side of a mountain far enough from the clan’s village to be difficult to watch easily, but close enough that Epyon could pop in at any time and disrupt their lives.  Which he did with alarming frequency.  

 

They had immediately begun mounting rescue efforts.  The first two parties never returned, a stunning blow to the clan’s numbers.  

 

The third party was returned to the village, maimed and useless, dying in agony.

 

Master Long hadn’t sent any more.

 

He’d gone once, by himself, and returned unharmed but haunted.

 

After that, the training sessions had increased beyond even the most extreme of Wufei’s memories.  It was brutal, and bloody, and set a clan already aching and on edge, down a dark path.  Wufei had eventually proven himself the strongest, most lethal warrior of the group, the most in control of his beast, despite being the youngest, and Master Long had named him Heir, put an end to most of the fighting.

 

But the damage had been done.

 

Not long after the proclamation, Master Long had taken him to the outer edges of the mountain, directed him towards the cave.  Explained that Epyon, and Meilan, were inside, that she was a prisoner.  Instructed Wufei on where and how to find the entrance, that there were few guards, simply a few untrained shifters who would be no match for Wufei, plus the two fae holding Meilan prisoner. Told him that they had given Master Long their terms for her release.  Terms that were unacceptable, but which they had no choice but to obey or be destroyed.

 

That the Shenlong Clan, a fierce and proud people, were effectively the slaves of these evil beings, that not even Master Long had been able to defy them.

 

But that he thought Wufei might, one day, be able to, if he kept fighting, kept training.

 

And so Wufei had.  

 

Then Epyon had come and wiped out half of the remaining village in one fell swoop, just, as far as Wufei could tell, to prove that he could.

 

So, against Master Long’s wishes and perhaps his better judgement, Wufei had left, gone looking for someone to help them, seeking out another fae, one who might be able to fight Epyon, to win. Because Wufei was convinced, now, that he would never be able to.  He had gone looking for _Shinigami_ , the God of Death.  Had found him.

 

And now found he couldn’t sacrifice the man to the evil that had taken his clan, his family.  Couldn’t risk the destruction of the last people that he cared anything about.

 

Wufei was the last of his kind, and today would be the day that he would confront the evil that had taken everything from him.

 

He found himself creeping out, again, though in the middle of the day rather than the dead of night, pausing to glance back at the two men entwined in bed, oblivious to his departure.

 

He was going to miss them.

 

*

 

The miles to the mountain cave were traversed quickly, once Wufei was outside the small village.  He simply shifted, his larger, longer body eating up the miles at a fast pace, other animals avoiding his scent.  By mid-afternoon he was just outside the perimeter of the cave, and from there it was child’s play for Wufei to find the entrance.

 

Stepping into the cool darkness, he went unmolested for a long time, his footsteps echoing slightly as he progressed deeper into the mountain. Finally, he stepped out into a large antechamber, outfitted with modest necessities, furniture and rugs, lit by candlelight.

 

“Wufei?!”  

 

He turned towards the sound, bewildered, staring into Meilan’s surprised face.

 

It was the last thing he saw as a burning agony entered his back, his breath wrenched out of him by pain, vision disappearing in pinpricks of light and darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, the Clan is dead. In keeping with the series, I hesitate to point out and also I'm sorry please forgive me. 
> 
> Heero is a necromancer! That's cool, right? That makes up for brutally ripping your heart out and stomping on it, right? No? Sorry about that. 
> 
> To be clear, Heero flew to China. Being mostly human, it wasn't a problem for him to hop on a plane, with his big furry boyfriend in tow. That's how he got there so fast.
> 
> Trowa's backstory is coming, I promise.


	6. Deep End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happened to Wufei? What’s the deal with Duo and Quatre? What is Heero’s problem!
> 
> Most of the answers are in this chapter. Kind of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Rane, who had a terrible day.

_ “Like light in my veins, darkness is sinking me, commanding my soul.”  _

_ \- Ruelle, Deep End _

* * *

 

 

Wufei floated in a haze of pain and darkness, sensing motion and speed, but unable to process. It was interrupted by periods of blank absentia, no sense of time or space.

Lying flat in a heap on an uncomfortable surface.

More movement, intense pain. He cried out.

Absence.

Blinding pain.

It went on for eternity. Or no time at all.

Eventually he felt the gentle prodding of familiar magic, welcoming and inquisitive.

No!

He reacted, violently. They shouldn't be here! Danger!

What kind of danger he didn't remember. He just knew they had to go. He retreated from the touch of the power as familiar to him as his own.

Exasperated sigh, not his own. The magic drew away.

Warm hands touched his skin. Patted, soothed. Relaxed.

The magic was back.

He twisted, moving away, excruciating pain flaring up his side, leaving him gasping.

“Idiot,” heated with anger, warm with affection. He knew that voice.

Cool hands drifted along his spine, easing his discomfort. He sighed.

More magic.

He was so tired. So tired.

A mouth slanted over his, coaxing him into a kiss. He groaned, lifting his arms to hold on.

They were so heavy.

“Cmon ‘Fei,” then mouth ghosted over his jaw, “do you want to be with us?”

Another mouth trailed along his neck.

He moaned his agreement.

The tendrils wrapped around him, gently, and he forgot why he was supposed to be getting away.

“Wufei,” a different voice, low and persuasive, “say yes, Wufei. We want you.”

“Yes,” he groaned, reaching for them again, limbs like molasses.

Sharp teeth grazed along his neck as the mouth at his jaw drifted back up to his lips, covering them, tongue diving inside. He groaned, opening wider to allow the intrusion.

Suddenly he was drowning, suffused in power and pleasure, magic searching through him, discovering him, exploring his cracks and crevices, filling him up, adding where he was weak, learning where he was strong. He gasped again for completely different reasons as the magic found the gaping wound in his body, forcing flesh and bone and muscle to knit together, to heal more rapidly than he would have believed. The pain was overwhelming, worse than when he’d been injured.

He passed out.

*

Wufei woke up sandwiched between two familiar bodies, one slightly cooler than his own, feeling surprisingly good. Much better than he should.

And how did he get back anyway? Had he imagined the whole thing? The tenderness in the middle of his back and inside, like he’d been pummeled, suggested otherwise.

He shifted, intending to get up, crawl over Quatre, when Duo threw an arm and leg over his waist and hips, trapping him.

“No,” he mumbled, “there’ll be no more of that.”

Wufei blinked at him in surprise. “No more of what?” he asked, keeping his voice down, wondering how soon Quatre would wake.

Surprised by the sure knowledge that it would only be a couple of hours.

“No more crawling out of our bed to get yourself killed,” Duo answered, looking up at him blearily.

“I didn’t - “ he stopped, realizing Duo could taste the lie, unsure how he knew that.

“What happened?” he asked, instead.

Duo sat up with a sigh, pushing loose hair out of his face. “You’ll have to tell us. We woke up to find you gone, and just as we were getting ready to tear the country apart looking for you, someone dumped your half dead body on the doorstep like a fucking message. Wanna tell me about that?” He could feel the barely banked anger and frustration, underscoring the worry, knew the emotions were Duo’s rather than his own.

Wufei winced. “Ah, not really?”

The other man sighed, exasperation and fondness and amusement all encompassed in that one, small sound. Duo lay back down, tugging Wufei with him.

“Go to sleep,” he muttered into Wufei’s unbound hair. “You pretty well died, you could probably use the rest. I know I could.”

Wufei didn’t really manage to sleep, however. He dozed, his brain a riot of thoughts and emotions, pondering what was real and what, if anything, was fevered dreams.

Wondered if he’d really seen Meilan.

He’d thought her dead with the rest of his clan.

Eventually, though, he must have fallen asleep, because he woke up tucked in with Quatre, the blue eyed vampire watching him carefully when he opened his eyes, Duo noticeably absent.

“What were you thinking?” the blond asked, eyes flickering over Wufei’s expression.

Wufei shrugged uncomfortably. In truth, he hadn’t been thinking much of anything really, just reacting. Responding to his pain and grief. He’d been thinking there wasn’t anything left for him, that he was sparing Duo and Quatre an unwinnable fight. That he was saving their lives, maybe.

“You meant to die.” Quatre said it with certainty, the words coated with disappointment.

There was a feeling, underlying their conversation, poignant and frustrated.

“I thought I’d go down fighting, at least,” Wufei muttered, bitterly, “not be nearly killed by an unknown assailant.”

Quatre pursed his lips, eyeing Wufei with an unreadable look, before he rolled over, climbing gracefully to his feet to stand next to the bed. “Everyone is waiting for us downstairs, let’s try not to make them wait any longer.” He moved to the small dresser, tugging clothes out of drawers, dressing quickly and without fanfare in what Wufei tended to think of as his ‘public’ clothes. They were meant to be seen, to make a certain impression. Certainly a deviation from the more relaxed, more comfortable persona Wufei had become accustomed to.

He couldn’t help but feel he’d missed something, watching as Quatre strode to the door, waiting on him impatiently.

Glancing around, Wufei asked, “Where are the clothes I was wearing, yes- before?” Now that he thought of it, he wasn’t even sure what day it was.

“Two days ago, actually,” Quatre answered, swift and inscrutable, “and they weren’t salvageable.”

How badly had he been injured that his clothes had been beyond repair?

Automatically his hand strayed to his back, where the phantom sensation of burning pain remained, but all he felt was smooth, whole skin.

Quatre’s expression had gone tight around the edges, and Wufei just seemed to know that the other man was both infuriated and grief-stricken. He blinked in surprise at the vampire, who took in his startled expression and smiled, just a small thing, and the suffocating feelings retreated to background noise.

“They’re waiting, Wufei,” he reminded, gently, and Wufei jerked into motion, digging trousers and a tshirt out of his own wardrobe, hurriedly pulling them on and shoving his feet into his boots.

He motioned at Quatre to precede him, who looked for a moment like he was going to argue before he sighed in exasperation and turned to leave the room, Wufei on his heels.

He’d definitely missed something.

Shuffling down the stairs, he followed Quatre into a quiet tea room off of the main foyer, obviously intended to provide them with privacy and what the owners probably thought of as ‘atmosphere’. It housed a modest bar and a few small tables, but more importantly, it was unoccupied except for Duo, Heero, and Trowa.

Heero was looking at them as they entered, eyes narrowing at Quatre’s appearance, Wufei getting the distinct impression the blond was amused, and then that piercing blue gaze was looking him over, appraising.

“I expected to see you a bit more dead,” the necromancer blithely announced, “but you look remarkably healthy.” He turned to Duo questioningly, but the fae gave nothing away, except a slight shrug.

“Perhaps I’m harder to kill than you thought,” Wufei suggested, trying to make light of the situation, pulling out a chair at the table they were seated around.

“No,” Heero murmured, still staring unblinkingly at Wufei, “I found you. I’m surprised you survived the trip up the stairs, it makes no sense that you should…” he trailed off, turning sharp eyes on Quatre. He made a considering noise before his gaze flicked back to Wufei.

“What did they do to you?” Heero questioned him, and there was a weight to it, a push behind the words that Wufei didn’t understand.

“I’ve no idea,” he answered, and, unable to resist the urge to be perverse, continued with, “unless you’re referring to the night before I left, in which case I can assure you-”

Trowa cut him off with an amused snort, kicking Heero surreptitiously under the table.

Quatre’s grin was sharp-edged as he leaned his chin in his hand, something triumphant about his attitude as he stared at Heero, as though goading him.

“Stop looking at me like that,” Heero said, his tone and words blase, but carrying that same weight Wufei had felt earlier. He watched Quatre expectantly, but nothing happened.

The blond’s grin widened.

Heero and Trowa both blinked in surprise.

Wufei was still missing something, though Duo was watching the byplay with growing amusement.

Breaking off the staring contest he was having with the smirking vampire, Heero glanced between Wufei and Duo contemplatively before something seemed to click.

“Well,” he said, finally, his expression carefully schooled, “that’s unexpected.”

“I could live a thousand years and still not understand any of you,” Wufei grumbled, rolling his eyes.

“Assuming we don't all die in this foolhardy attempt to avenge your village, I suppose you'll get a chance to find out,” Heero retorted, dryly, “but I won't be around to see it.”

Trowa was the only one watching Wufei when Heero’s words fell flatly amongst them, and he was the only one to witness the brief confusion that crossed his face. His people lived a long time, but not a thousand years.

Well, perhaps Master Long had lived a thousand years, no one knew for sure, but Wufei had no such illusions.

“They didn’t tell you,” Trowa murmured, brow creasing.

“Didn’t tell me what?” Wufei asked, irritably. He was tired of being out of the loop, tired of being the only one who didn’t seem to understand, intuitively, what was happening around them. Glancing around, he took in Duo’s expression, simultaneously contrite and defiant, and Quatre, who was giving Heero a look of intense exasperation.

And suddenly he knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he was going to very unhappy with whatever was going on.

“What did you do?” Wufei turned, suddenly, to Duo, demanding, worried.

A little afraid.

Heero spoke, again, before Duo mustered up an answer.

“How long were you expecting to live, Wufei?”

Distracted, he turned back to the necromancer, brow furrowed. “Another two hundred years, perhaps, why?”

Even Trowa looked taken aback.

“How old are you now?” the shifter asked, “Five?”

It was Wufei’s turn to blink in surprise. “No,” he said, slowly, “I was born the year of the dragon, 4510, in the fourth lunar month.” He paused again, doing conversions in his head. “It was 1812, by the western calendar, I think.”

Heero snorted. “Well, you can expect to live through a few more calendar changes, assuming we don’t die on this expedition.”

“Thank you Heero, that’s very helpful,” Duo ground out, giving Heero a dark look. The other man was completely nonplussed, his posture relaxed.

“Duo,” Wufei’s agitation and frustration and worry were coming through in the way the name dragged across his vocal chords, “what did you do?”

The long-haired man sighed, shooting Quatre a glance. “Nothing that can’t be undone, if that’s what you want. But it might be better discussed in private.”

Trowa was still staring at him with some kind of indecipherable look on his face.

Privacy was probably preferable to feeling like a zoo exhibit, frankly. Wufei nodded in response to Duo’s unasked question, and Wufei felt his tension fade to a more manageable level.

“Your people routinely live to be nearly five hundred years old?” Trowa finally asked, disbelief evident.

Wufei shrugged. “No one knew how old Master Long was, and I'm th- I was the youngest except for Meilan, but yes.” He cocked his head at Trowa, thoughtfully. “How old are you?”

“Just as old as I look, probably,” was the rueful reply, a half smirk crossing Trowa’s face.

Wufei had a hard time guessing ages, for obvious reasons, but given Trowa's surprise, he figured him somewhere in his early thirties.

“Trowa was turned, though,” Quatre pointed out, “and Wufei was born a shifter.”

Wufei shrugged again. “We are forbidden to turn outsiders, except in extraordinary circumstances. Joining the clan is a privilege.”

Duo looked between the two of them thoughtfully. “Most shifters are driven by their changes. Beholden to the moon or not, the shifts wear them down, tire them out. Some are driven to madness. But Wufei - and his clan, if I remember correctly - are in control of their shifts.”

Wufei nodded uncertainly. That much was true.

Truthfully, though, he didn't know anything about what other shifters did.

“I would have liked to have seen Zechs’ face when you didn't shift in front of him,” Trowa smirked, again, watching Wufei’s expression.

He was glad for the moment of levity, for the diversion of their focus.

“He was rather perturbed,” Wufei grinned back.

“Speaking of Merquise,” Heero growled, “how much do we suspect he's involved?”

Wufei shrugged. “I didn't see anyone except Meilan.”

Duo sighed. “I think it's time you told us the entire story.”

So Wufei did, not that there was much to say, considering he'd seen nothing and no one else, and didn't even remember how he got back.

“I think that speaks heavily towards Zechs’ involvement,” Duo offered, eyes distant as he thought. “He's Seelie, and I know he's got some ability to heal. He's got a reputation for injuring and then healing the shifters he controls.”

Trowa shuddered, slightly, across the table.

“I don't know how else Wufei would have survived the trip back from the mountain if something hadn't been working to keep him alive.”

This time Wufei shivered. He'd obviously been much closer to death than he'd known, and he remembered the sharp agony of the cave.

“There are two fae,” he blurted, in sudden remembrance, “Master Long told me, before, when he showed me the entrance to the cave.” He paused, thoughtfully. “There were supposed to be guards, as well, shifters, but I never saw anyone at all, except Meilan.”

On reflection, that was suspicious at best.

“The fact that there are shifters also heavily implies Zechs’ presence. Not that other fae don’t have shifters in their retinue, but hardly ever so many. And obviously,” Quatre stressed the word drolly, “they were expecting you, assuming the whole thing wasn’t a trap from the beginning.”

“But were they expecting Wufei specifically or was it just convenient that he happened along?” Heero mused.

Duo pursed his lips, staring off into the distance.

“Meilan seemed surprised to see me,” Wufei offered with a shrug.

“I think,” Duo finally said, slowly, “that we don't know enough to know what we know. I think it's clear that they expected someone from our group, given the fact that they brought you back here, to us. It was pretty obviously a message, but I don't believe that they know precisely who we are, or they wouldn't have brought you back at all.”

“Why do you say that?” Trowa rumbled from his end of the table. He'd finally stopped staring at Wufei, which was a relief.

“Because you don't bring the God of Death something nearly dead as a warning,” Quatre answered, as though it were glaringly obvious, “and you especially don't deliver dead things to a necromancer. If it hadn't been someone we cared about, it would have been a damn gift.”

Wufei was taken aback by the bitter vehemence in Quatre’s tone. Not to mention the stark reminder of his own mortality, and the fact that he still didn't know exactly what had happened.

Duo caught his eye, gave him a slight shake of his head.

Privacy. Right.

“We need more information.” This from Heero, who looked irritable. “Reconnaissance.”

“I could go back,” Wufei started, “now-”

The derisive snort from Quatre put an end to that line of thought.

Trowa was staring at him again, but the look was considering, thoughtful.

“Could you teach me to control my shifts, completely, the way you do?” The question was soft, the tone unreadable.

Wufei shrugged. “We teach children, I don't see why you couldn't be instructed. It's mostly meditative.”

“Absolutely not,” Heero burst out, glaring at Trowa.

Utterly bewildered, Wufei stared at the slight man.

“I don't recall asking your permission,” Trowa responded, still looking at Wufei. “If Zechs is there, who better to go than me? He favors lions. One more will go unnoticed, and I'm good at blending in.” He turned to look at Heero, finally, his expression softening at whatever he saw there. Trowa reached out, resting his hand on Heero’s forearm. “I owe this much to Duo, at least.”

Heero’s mouth compressed into a thin line.

Trowa leaned closer, murmuring something that Wufei didn't catch, something he actively tried not to hear. Heero's shoulder slumped in response to whatever it was.

“Fine,” the necromancer bit out, “but I'm going with you, at least part of the way, and I'll wait there for you to come back.” He glanced at Duo, challengingly, but the other man didn't say anything in dissent.

Standing smoothly, Duo motioned surreptitiously at Wufei and Quatre, who rose to follow. Meeting the tall werelion’s eyes, he said, very seriously, “Thank you, Trowa.”

There was a weighted silence, and then the tall man nodded, once, in response.

“I think that's enough for tonight. I assume it will take some time for Trowa to master this control?” At Wufei’s nod, he continued. “Then we can reconvene tomorrow.”

As they left, Wufei glanced back to see Trowa tucking Heero into an embrace, his chin resting on the other man’s shoulder, the two of them talking softly.

*

As he followed Duo and Quatre back up the stairs, Wufei’s mind was a riot of thoughts and emotions. He wanted answers to his questions, wanted to know how and what and why.

And at the same time, he wasn’t sure he would like the answers he got, and therefore, he wasn’t sure he wanted them after all.

It was a difficult position to be in.

Arriving in their room, Wufei was expecting… well, he wasn’t sure what he was expecting exactly, but it wasn’t for Quatre and Duo to take up chairs several feet away from him and look at him expectantly.

It would have been more characteristic for them to try and distract him with their touch and their words, and the fact that they weren’t doing that was a mark of how seriously they were taking the situation.

So was Duo’s next sentence.

“Go ahead, ask us whatever’s on your mind.”

Wufei blinked at him in surprise. “Anything?” he questioned. “And you’ll tell me the truth?”

“I always tell the truth,” Duo grinned, “but I’ll actually answer your questions, if I can, if I know the answers.” He glanced sideways at Quatre. “Q will too, just this once.”

The blond vampire snorted. The look he shot Wufei was open, however, and a bit… well, Wufei would have called it shy if he’d been describing anyone except Quatre.

“I don’t- I’m not even sure where to start.” He sighed, suddenly exhausted, and sat down on the edge of the bed across from them.

Quatre shifted, moved as though he were about to get up before he thought better of it and resettled himself. “If you’re too tired, we could just do this another time,” he offered, eyes trained on Wufei’s expression.

“No,” Wufei shook his head, “no I want- I need to know.” He took a deep breath, trying to organize his thoughts. First and foremost, crowding out all the other questions in his brain, the ones that wanted to know everything there was to know about Duo and Quatre, was the one that had been preying on him since Heero had brought it up.

“What did you do to me, how did I survive?” The words were hard to force out, the acknowledgement that he’d nearly got himself killed in his foolishness.

“Always the easy questions first,” Duo grumbled, cutting eyes at Quatre.

“You said it could be undone, if I wanted,” Wufei reminded the fae man, looking between the two of them.

“Well it can,” Duo grimaced, “but it wouldn’t be pretty, or comfortable.”

Wufei had suspected as much, just from everyone’s reaction, the secretive way Duo was answering him, Heero and Trowa’s reaction.

“It can’t be undone right away,” Quatre added, “you’re still… recovering, from your ordeal. It’s possible, and even likely, that it might undo all the good it did you, this soon afterwards. So it’s something you’re going to have to live with for a little while, at least.”

“You mean I could die.”

Duo’s jaw clenched as he turned to look at nothing across the room, Quatre nodding in response.

“There are no healers in our group,” Duo finally blurted, sounding offended by the words, “because we’re all death dealers, not life-givers.” He paused, still staring off into space. “Hilde is Seelie, but she’s- well, she’s not a healer, anyway, and she has her own difficulties.” He finally turned to look at Wufei, but he didn’t really seem to be looking at him, more through him, as though he could see something Wufei couldn’t. “Whoever brought you here intended you to die. Heero found you on the steps, so close to death that his powers sought you out, and Quatre and I-”

The vampire reached out, wrapping his hand around Duo’s wrist, and the other man abruptly stopped talking.

Wufei could practically feel the connection humming between the two of them.

The usual beckoning of their power he felt was absent, though, and he wondered at it. Mostly he just felt, accepted. Content.

Quatre took up where Duo left off. “What do you know about Duo and I, and our… partnership?”

Wufei blinked at the change of topic. He thought back to their first meeting, to what he knew of them now. “You share blood, power. Your magic is… connected.” He frowned. “You heal each other with your power, somehow.”

The blond looked pleased with him. “Our magic is connected because we’re bonded. Duo can use my power to speed his healing, and vice versa. It gets more difficult if we’re both injured, as you’ve seen.” Wufei nodded. “It’s like a,” Quatre paused, searching for words, “like a pack bond. Like a mate.”

Feeling his eyebrows crawl up into his hairline, Wufei stared at him in disbelief as he suddenly realized exactly what they’d done. His disjointed memories of his time unconscious became clearer as he made the connection. The unusual understanding of their emotions, their motivations. The knowledge of their habits he shouldn’t have had.

“You mated with me?!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I THINK I’ve done the calendar conversions correctly here. I hope. Basically I had a lot of uncomfortable feelings about Wufei being really young and the others being really old and this is my solution. 
> 
> Hilde does have some fancy backstory! 
> 
> Cliffhanger! 
> 
> Better than the last one, anyway, I hope!


	7. My Religion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mostly porn.
> 
> Some explanation.
> 
> Everyone gets a birthday!
> 
> And porn. Loads of porn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no excuses, and I am entirely shameless.

_“When I'm down on my knees, you're how I pray."_

_\- Lana del Rey, Religion_

* * *

 

 

Duo snorted at Wufei’s tone.  “Oh yes, Quat, I can see that _your_ explanation is going over much better than mine would have.”

 

Quatre shot Duo a frustrated glare.  He turned back to Wufei.  “I only used the term to help you understand.  We’re not- Wufei we aren’t shifters.  We don’t think like shifters, we don’t bond like shifters.”  He sighed.  

 

“What would _you_ call it then?” Wufei asked, hesitantly.

 

In his Clan, and in most packs, he guessed, mate bonds were-  Well, they were rare and they were _permanent_.  It was like having your soul fused to another soul.

 

To be frank, Wufei wanted absolutely nothing to do with it.

 

“It’s a choice,”  Quatre said, carefully, “and there’s a mixing, sharing of power, and both parties - well, in this case all three parties - gain something from it, and it lessens weaknesses.  It’s a bond.  I-  Duo and I have been together for a very long time, and I doubt we could sort ourselves out enough to separate at this point, nor do we want to,” he paused to glance, fondly, at the other man, “but it’s not something that can’t be undone or revoked.  You have to agree to it, and you can… stop agreeing, if you wish.”  

 

“I’d probably wait until we take care of all this other stuff, though,” Duo added, from his chair.  He stood, pacing restlessly.  “We didn’t know any other way to save your life, Wufei.  And it’s only been a couple of days, and I don’t know what would happen if we tried to undo it now.  You were-” He swallowed, eyes searching Wufei’s face.  “It was very clear you were supposed to die.  It’s amazing you didn’t die.”

 

Wufei vaguely recalled the sensation of their power, the coaxing and cajoling, asking him to say yes.  

 

He should be angry with them, he knew, but they both looked so hesitant and unsure he couldn’t maintain the emotional energy to bother.

 

He was alive after all, when it seemed he shouldn’t be.

 

“What was Heero nattering on about, when he asked how long I planned to live?”

 

Duo and Quatre exchanged another glance.  “Well, sharing a lifespan is part of the deal,” Duo answered him.

 

Wufei waited on him to elaborate, whilst both of them looked at him expectantly.  Finally Duo blew out an exasperated breath.  “Fae live a very, very long time Wufei.  Eons.  And Quatre’s a vampire, they don’t die, as far as I know, at least not from old age.”

 

Forever.

 

They were going to live forever.

 

Well, assuming they didn’t die on the mountain in the next few days.

 

Wufei closed his eyes, resigned and exasperated with both of them.  

 

They’d basically made him immortal, something Wufei had never wanted nor spent any real time contemplating and he _certainly_ , now that nearly everyone he knew was dead, didn’t see the benefit.   

 

Looking back at them, he noted the smooth, unlined skin of their faces, the lack of scars on Quatre’s body.  Wondered about the very few that were on Duo’s.  

 

Well, he didn’t see _much_ benefit.

 

“How old are you now?”

 

Duo looked uncomfortable and Quatre looked mildly like he was regretting ever entering in this conversation.

 

“You know the painting on our wall, in the apartment?” Quatre asked, finally.

 

“Yes,” Wufei cautiously answered him, recalling the enormous angelic monstrosity.  “Why?”

 

“It’s one of Caravaggio’s last paintings.”  He paused, carefully choosing his words.  “The third? Or fourth? I ever sat for.”

 

“The angel,” he breathed. Wufei’s breath froze in his chest as he did the math.  Caravaggio had died in the early 1600s, if he remembered correctly. Over 400 years ago.

 

Quatre beamed at him in delight.  “It’s among my favorites.”

 

Unexpectedly, Wufei realized that Quatre was probably in a wide range of famous artistic pursuits.  And that it gave the vampire a great deal of satisfaction.

 

In fact, Duo was rolling his eyes at the blond.

 

“And you?” Wufei asked, suddenly aware that he probably didn’t want to know.

 

“Well,” the other man drawled, “I wasn’t around to see the fall of the Roman Empire, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

 

Wufei stared at him, expectantly, eyebrow raised.  

 

Duo sighed. “I was born around a thousand years ago, give or take a few decades. I don't really keep a close count.”

 

Seeing the look on Wufei’s face, he hurried to add-

 

“That's nothing, ‘Fei, it's - hell I’m barely an adult by Fae standards!”

 

That… didn't really help.

 

He felt like he needed to sit down. Except he was _already_ sitting.

 

Quatre was already as old as he could reasonably have expected to live and Duo was _twice_ that, and Wufei was viscerally reminded, suddenly, that they _weren't like him_. They were ancient beings, would be around long after he'd gone to dust in the ground and it was all so much.

 

Too much.

 

He didn't even realize he was hyperventilating until Quatre was kneeling in front of him, instructing him to breathe. Pale hands reached out to hover at his shoulders, hesitantly, and then the other man - _vampire_ , he was a vampire, Wufei reminded himself - settled his hands on bare skin, Wufei sucking in a breath at the rush of sensory input at the touch.

 

Care. Concern. Protective. Possessive. Underneath was the implication of banked violence and ruthless determination. Lust. A vague hunger Wufei didn't understand.

 

Glancing up in surprise, Wufei met Duo’s eyes, and there was a second, different set of emotions.

 

Anxiety. Reservation. Hesitant hope. Humor. The ache of an old agony. Violence and more lust and a unique awareness of the slow decay of the world around them.

 

Wufei took a deep, shuddering breath. Felt his heartbeat as he separated himself from the murky pool of sensory overload

 

Felt the sensations ease, retreat to the background of his mind.

 

“Wh- what was that?” he stuttered, still staring at Duo.

 

Quatre sighed. “Me. Us.” Wufei turned to look at him as he continued, grimacing. “I feel emotions like background radiation and because we're bonded you get some of the residual. You get used to it.”

 

Wufei doubted that.

 

He'd almost forgotten about the bond in the wake of everything else that had been revealed.

 

“It has its benefits,” Duo murmured, and as Wufei opened his mouth to ask what, exactly, those might be, he was suddenly flush with the feeling of _wantneedlust_ that swamped him. Heart racing and arousal pooling low in his belly, Wufei looked up to find the other man stalking towards him, a wicked grin on his face.

 

Quatre didn’t move from where he was crouched at his feet, smirking up at him as he trailed his fingertips over Wufei’s cotton-clad thighs.  “Why don’t you let us show you some of the _perks_ that come with your new status in our lives.”

 

Wufei swallowed thickly, gazing down at the other man.  Duo crowded behind him on the bed, pressing against his back, stroking hands down his arms.  Waiting.

 

Both of them were patient, paused and ready, anticipating his answer.

 

He closed his eyes.  Tried to sort out his own feelings from theirs, identify what was his own desire and what was outside influence.

 

Quatre’s hands withdrew, drifting away, and Wufei expected that to help, expected that to offer him relief, but he was still just as hot, just as turned on.

 

Just as needy.  

 

Wufei wasn’t used to needing anyone.  He prided himself on independence, self-sufficiency.  A reliance on no one but himself.

 

But.

 

He opened his eyes.

 

Quatre was still staring up at him, hands folded in his lap, looking hopeful and concerned, most of the lust in his expression banked by the other emotions.  Duo had folded him up in an embrace, forehead resting between his shoulders, fingers interlocked at his waist.  

 

No one had ever cared about him as much as these two people.  No one had ever gone to so much trouble for him.  Wufei had no illusions about what his life had been like prior to meeting them.  If he’d been injured so badly in battle, no one would have gone to such lengths to try and preserve his life.  No one would have looked for him - no one _had_ looked for him - after he’d disappeared.  He hadn’t been worth the trouble.

 

He’d always been expendable.

 

Except to Duo and Quatre.

 

He reached for Quatre, tugging him up onto the bed, into his lap, wrapping him in an embrace, Duo still pressed tightly against his back.

 

For a moment they just existed, tangled together, the hum of emotions buzzing across their skin.  Breathing.  Settling into the awareness of one another, something Duo and Quatre were probably well accustomed to, but which was entirely foreign to Wufei, the additional sensation of the others’ feelings.

 

It was the minute shifting of their bodies that undid them.  

 

Duo brushed his lips across Wufei’s neck, breathing deeply, almost like he was scenting him, and Wufei inhaled sharply at the thought, his hands tightening where they’d come to rest on Quatre’s waist.

 

The jolt of lust he felt was weirdly echoed, like ripples in a pond, and when Quatre delved under his shirt to trail his fingers across Wufei’s skin, Wufei experienced the sense of anticipation, want, the other man felt as though it were a warm caress across his thoughts.

 

It was intoxicating.

 

Wufei turned his head, tilting his chin, and Duo slanted his mouth over his, nibbling at his lips, tongue diving in to taste him, and as Duo’s arousal ratcheted higher, Wufei’s rose to match it.  Quatre leaned forward, to run his mouth across Wufei’s collarbone, his desire adding to the mix.  It was like being submerged in a pool of heat and passion and erotic craving and Wufei never wanted it to end.

 

Quatre maneuvered them onto the bed, prodding and nudging, until they were stretched out across it, hands roaming and lips meeting.  Wufei was out of his boots and socks before he was even fully aware that they were lying down, Quatre and Duo both working at the remainder of his clothes.  Wufei tugged impatiently at Duo’s shirt, even as he was divested of his pants, clever fingers dragging underwear down with the trousers.  His shirt was next, Quatre pulling it over his head, Duo stripping his own off and tossing it aside, and Wufei was reaching blindly behind him for the blond, searching out smooth skin, shoving impatiently at his pants.  The other man chuckled low, the sound smooth and sexy, and he complied with the wordless demand, shucking the sinfully tight trousers, his shirt long since disappeared.  

 

Then it was all naked bodies and heated caresses, Wufei tugging them closer in turn, swapping hot kisses.  His breath caught in his throat as he watched them kiss each other, the ease of long practice evident in their embrace, the whirlwind of emotions settling for a brief moment into something warm and languid and familiar, before their focus turned back to Wufei.

 

They bracketed him between them, the position familiar and soothing, Wufei facing Quatre, Duo at his back again, as he shared a deep, unhurried kiss with the blond.  Quatre trailed his mouth across Wufei’s jaw to his throat, Duo stroking his hips, and Wufei caught a flash of _want_ from the blond as teeth grazed his neck.

 

He groaned, his cock twitching.

 

Quatre worried at the skin beneath his mouth, rolling it gently between his teeth, warm breath blowing across the damp patch.  Duo’s hands were stroking his bare skin as Wufei arched between them.

 

“Please,” he moaned, reduced to his most basic urges.  He tugged at Quatre insistently.

 

The other man’s hands clenched against his chest as he gasped sharply.

 

Wufei had never asked before.

 

“You’re sure?” he murmured against Wufei’s throat, the movement of his lips sending shivers down his spine.

 

“Yes,” he groaned, tilting his head further to the side.

 

Duo leaned further into his body, reaching up to stroke long fingers across his scalp, carding through his hair, a hand wrapped around his waist.

 

And then Quatre bit him.

 

Wufei rode the sensation of liquid passion with stuttering breaths and trembling hands.  It was always good, so good, but now the intense feeling of lust was mellowed by a molten emotion he couldn’t identify, but one that made him feel welcome, appreciated, and he got the reverberating sense of Quatre’s satisfaction - his appreciation, his delight.  

 

He whimpered in protest when it was over, despite the languorous tenderness left behind.

 

Duo pulled his arms, convincing him to roll, and Wufei opened his eyes as he turned, finding himself hovering above the other man, who was flushed, eyes dark pools of arousal as he stared up at Wufei.  He wrapped his arms around Wufei’s shoulders, tugging him down, and Wufei went willingly, lips meeting in an unhurried kiss, a thorough exploration.  

 

Quatre rose behind him, stroking along his sides and spine, hands pausing, briefly, where Wufei was sure there should be a mark of his near-death, but where one didn’t exist, and the blond man leaned down to place a kiss that was nearly reverential on the spot.  Then he was maneuvering both of them, positioning them to his satisfaction.

 

Duo’s left knee was bent, Wufei crouched between his thighs, Quatre behind both of them, trailing kisses along his spine, when the blond pressed a familiar tube into his hands.  Wufei accepted it blindly, attention fully devoted to Duo’s hands and mouth and Quatre’s hips, reveling in the slide of their bare skin.  

 

Breaking away he glanced down long enough to fumble the cap off of the lube before he dove back in head first, pressing his mouth against Duo’s, nipping at his bottom lip.  The other man groaned, opening his mouth, tongue flickering,  and Wufei trailed his now slick fingers down, beneath his weeping cock, between his cheeks, to circle at the entrance there.

 

Burying his fingers in Wufei’s hair, Duo arched into the touch, moaning, and Wufei slid a finger inside, marveling at the tight heat, his cock throbbing in time with his heart.  Quatre’s hand was doing its own exploration, trailing along his spine, and delving between his spread thighs to grope and fondle him.

 

Wufei had to break away from kissing Duo, two fingers buried in his body, to lean his head against the other man’s shoulder as Quatre stroked him with an expert touch.  He continued to slide his fingers in and out of Duo’s body, listening to the small noises the other man made, searching out the perfect angle to-

 

“Ah-ah!”

 

Duo was flushed and nearly glowing, eyes half open but unseeing, body writhing at Wufei’s touch, and he thought he had never seen anything more gorgeous.

 

Until Quatre leaned around him to capture the other man’s slack mouth in a heated kiss, and the two of them together, Duo practically dancing on his fingers, Quatre burying his free hand enthusiastically in the remains of Duo’s braid, was undoubtedly the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

 

The vampire withdrew, returning to his self-appointed task of driving Wufei crazy as he gave one last twisting squeeze that left Wufei gasping and groaning.  Then his fingers were back, nudging at Wufei’s own entrance, and Wufei relaxed into the touch, even as he slipped a third finger into Duo’s willing body,

 

Shivering and clutching at him, Duo glared up at Wufei in frustration.

 

He took that as the hint it was, removing his fingers and wiping them absently on the sheets, positioning himself against the ready opening to Duo’s body before slowly pushing forward.

 

He groaned as he was enveloped in a tight, hot grip, Duo’s eyelids fluttering as his breath left his chest in a rush.  Wufei’s own pleasure was considerable, buried in Duo’s body, Quatre’s fingers sliding in and out of him in steady rhythm, brushing across that place inside of him that set off sparks.

 

Combined with the echoing pleasure of his bedmates, Wufei could barely breathe, much less think, arms trembling as he held himself still, waiting for Duo to adjust and Quatre to finish preparing him, hips shifting minutely with the other man’s gentle movements.

 

Then Quatre’s fingers were retreating and his cock was pressing into Wufei, and he dropped onto his elbows, face buried in Duo’s neck as he was impaled.  

 

He was consumed by the sensations, wrapped in unbearable pleasure, surrounded physically and emotionally and overwhelmed with all of it.  And Quatre moved, thrusting gently.

 

The sound that came out of Wufei’s mouth was embarrassingly garbled, his grip white-knuckled in the sheets, the blond man’s movements directing his own, and he slid deeper into Duo’s body.  Duo responded by tilting his hips to accommodate them.  His moan matched Wufei’s - low and broken, wrecked by the pleasure humming between them.

 

They were a synchrony of motion, Quatre thrusting, Wufei trapped between the two of them as Duo arched upwards.  Wufei reached down, catching the edge of his hip, canting Duo’s hips, changing the angle just enough to leave the other man a writhing, mindless mess as Wufei stroked across his prostate with every thrust, Quatre fucking both of them.

 

The added stimulus of the bond, the awareness of one another's’ pleasure, only increased the wanton need echoing in their joining.

 

The thrusts got more powerful, fine sheen of perspiration coating each of their bodies, Wufei gasping for air, Duo straining to get an arm around both of them, Quatre’s grip on Wufei’s hips bruisingly tight.  Just when he thought he couldn’t stand another moment, when he felt like everything about him was going to implode, Duo contorted underneath him, arching, muscles taut and eyes clenched.

 

“OhmyGOD,” he gasped out, hands scrabbling along Wufei’s shoulders and Quatre’s arm, searching for purchase, trying to ground himself in their bodies.

 

The results were mind-blowing.

 

His magic exploded outward, drowning both Wufei and Quatre, forcing their release. Wufei’s breath was snatched from his throat as he shuddered and convulsed. Quatre’s hands were no doubt leaving bruises on his hips as he cried out.

 

They collapsed, panting and exhausted, onto the bed. Wufei barely managed to direct their motion to the side so they didn’t crush Duo, sliding out of his body less gently than he’d have liked.  Quatre withdrew a moment later, leaving Wufei feeling strangely empty.

 

They all concentrated on breathing.

 

Duo groped at the bed covers, producing someone’s shirt, and wiped himself off, before tossing it over the side of the bed and turning to tangle his legs with Wufei’s, even as Quatre scooted in closer, the line of his body butting up against Wufei’s back.  

 

He was drifting off to sleep when there was a pounding on the door.

 

“What?” Duo called, irritably, rising up on his elbow to glare at the wood.

 

“It’s Trowa,” Quatre muttered, turning to snuggle into Wufei’s shoulder, unconcerned.

 

Wufei huffed a laugh at the look on Duo’s face as he stretched languidly, feeling unusually energized.  Better.  Less tired and less sore, and certainly more relaxed than he’d been in a long time.  

 

Quatre stroked a hand along his side, soothing and warm, pressing a kiss against his neck.

 

Trowa opened the door cautiously, taking in the pile of unclothed bodies on the bed before ducking inside and closing it behind him.

 

His eyes skittered over them impassively before meeting Duo’s gaze.

 

“Is everything ok?” Trowa asked, looking mildly confused.

 

“Yeah, it’s fine, why?”  Duo’s brow furrowed as he took in Trowa’s hesitant concern and uncertainty.

 

The other man shrugged uncomfortably.  “We thought something happened, there was-” he paused, shrugging again, clearly at a loss.  “Obviously you’re fine.  We’re down the hall if you need anything.  Sorry I disturbed you.”

 

He was out the door before Wufei really pieced the situation together or processed the words, and even if he hadn’t been, he didn’t know what to make of them.

 

“What was that?” he asked, finally, as Duo lay back down to nestle in with them, tugging a sheet up and reaching for the lamp.

 

Quatre sighed in annoyance.

 

“Nothing.  They got some backlash.  That’s all.”  He snuggled more purposefully into Wufei’s side, clearly trying to communicate his wishes.

 

But Wufei couldn’t let it go.

 

“Backlash?”

 

The vampire practically growled, but Duo answered him, sounding sleepy and indifferent.

 

“The bond pools power,” he yawned, “increases it.  They got some magical backlash because there’s more magic to… lash, I guess.  It happens.”  He half shrugged, burying his face in Wufei’s hair.

 

“I don’t understand,” Wufei said, increasingly confused.  Next to him, Quatre was even more disgruntled, huffing his irritation.  “Why would they get any backlash?”

 

Quatre rolled to his other side, apparently determined to ignore him, but Duo leaned up on his elbow and regarded Wufei with surprise.  

 

“Because they’re mine,” Duo answered, brow furrowed.  “Because they’re connected to me, magically.  Because Trowa owes me a debt, and Heero’s magic is intrinsically tied to death and decay, and he’s certainly better off swearing loyalty to me than he would be elsewhere, with someone like Merquise.  And anyway he would never leave Trowa.”

 

“They’re in _love_ ,” Quatre mumbled mockingly, his words muffled by the blanket he’d tugged over his head.

 

“ _We’re_ in love,” Duo returned, sounding amused and fond.

 

“That’s different,” Quatre said, irritably, before falling silent again.

 

Duo grinned at Wufei, conspiratorially.  “He’s just disgruntled that Heero turned him down when they met.  And that his necromancy powers give him a bit of a sway over vampires. Although that seems to have changed, recently.”  He winked, before leaning in for a kiss.

 

Halfway through, Wufei froze, as the full implications of what Duo had just explained suddenly occurred to him.  He broke away to lean back and look at Duo in horror.

 

“Do you mean they’re going to know every time we- whenever we do this?” he hissed.

 

Behind him, he could feel the not so subtle vibration of Quatre shaking with laughter.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah I totes left you hanging on the last chapter just to reveal they aren't actually mated. Yep. That was me. I did that. The bond thing is important later though, just FYI.
> 
> There is... loads of backstory with Quatre and Duo and... some of it is in later chapters and then there's a prequel and yeah.... this verse goes on and on and on evidently.
> 
> I have been snickering for MONTHS at the idea of Quatre sitting for Renaissance painters and then finding his face in museums, and also at the idea of Heero finding really, tremendously UGLY paintings and then sending pictures of them to Quatre to ask if they are of him. This is now a running joke that no one but me gets, welcome to my brain space.
> 
> Also I spent hours researching painters and shout out to ClaraxBarton for the suggestion AND for the actual painting AND for helping me do all the research.
> 
> This magical backlash thing becomes important later too.
> 
> Finally: petition for Top!Quatre week.


	8. Control

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wufei and Trowa work on shifting. There is much cuteness. We learn about Trowa's past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Angsty backstory here, not that this is an unusual circumstance.

_"And I couldn't stand the person inside me."_

_\- Halsey, Control_

* * *

 

 

Having Heero and Trowa with them was more difficult that Wufei would have anticipated.  

 

Heero and Quatre’s constant sniping began to wear thin rather quickly. Especially as Quatre was oozing smug satisfaction and purposely needling the necromancer, who, in turn, became increasingly cutting in his remarks, his irritation bleeding over to include Wufei and, to some extent, Duo.

 

It also distracted Trowa, which was detrimental to the mental techniques Wufei was trying to teach the other shifter.

 

Less than a week in, Wufei lost patience entirely, when one of their little spats spilled over into the tea room he and Trowa were in, after the taller shifter had finally just fallen into the light meditation he needed for Wufei to be able to reach out to his animal.

 

Where Trowa had been sitting, a strikingly handsome lion now paced, startled and agitated, tail whipping as he prowled.

 

Wufei whirled on the two men, eyes flashing gold, his own tiger climbing dangerously close to the surface.

 

“Get out!” he snarled, looking between the two of them.

 

“Stop agitating him when you know he’s anxious and worried,” he flung at Quatre, gesturing towards Heero, and wiping the beginnings of a smirk off the blond vampire’s face.  “And you!” he turned back to a surprised-looking Heero, pointing, “you’re making this harder for him with your overly emotional outbursts.  Go find something better to do with your energy,  both of you!”

 

They retreated immediately, and surprisingly without comment, leaving Wufei to deal with the disgruntled lion sitting in front of him.

 

Though, looking at him, Wufei got the impression Trowa was more amused than anything.

 

During his childhood, losing control of your animal had been met with severe punishment and crushing beratement.  Wufei had harsh memories of time spent confined in solitary rooms, his skin crawling and feverish during the full moon, only to be severely punished if he gave in to the sensation.

 

He didn’t think the same treatment would be effective with Trowa, nor did he have the stomach to try it.

 

Instead, he was trying to feel his way forward, combining what he’d learned from Trowa about typical shifter behavior with the meditation techniques he’d learned years ago, and it had been working to some effect.

 

Except when Heero and Quatre couldn’t keep out of it.

 

Sighing, he raised an eyebrow at Trowa.  “Can you change back?”

 

The shifter looked at him through the same greenish-gold gaze he had in his human form, and managed to convey the exact same sense of sarcastic ‘what do you think’ he’d often seen Trowa give one of the others in response to a stupid question.  Trowa had gotten rather adept at partial changes, at preventing the change from happening, sometimes, when it called, but he hadn’t mastered turning back to his human self quickly after a shift.

 

It was a skill that had taken Wufei a long time to master, so he wasn’t surprised.

 

Wufei stuck his head out the door of the parlor and called for Quatre.

 

“Occupy the owners.  Trowa and I are going for a run.”

 

Out of sight of the inn, Wufei changed into his own animal form, glorying in the stretching of limbs and freeing sense of expanding his own skin, and then he chuffed at Trowa, who made some sort of puffing sound back at him that Wufei interpreted as agreement.

 

And then they ran.

 

Not far.  Neither lions nor tigers were built for marathon running, and Trowa was a little faster than Wufei, though Wufei had a bit more stamina.  Overall they were well matched, and they both slowed to a stop in the middle of a wide clearing a few miles from the inn.  It was dark, the moon still not over the horizon, nothing but the sounds of the forest around them for miles.

 

Trowa puffed at him again, bounding forward to bump his upper haunches into Wufei.

 

Turning, he snarled uncertainly at the man-turned-lion, shuffling back a few steps.  But Trowa crouched down on his haunches, chuffing at him again, before flopping to his side and pawing at Wufei’s legs.

 

He realized, with surprise, that the other shifter wanted to _play_.

 

Edging forward, he lifted his front leg to paw at the lion, who rolled all the way over, exposing his belly, and batted at him.

 

The clear, unthreatening, vulnerable maneuver was enough to let Wufei relax his guard.  Tumbling forward, he landed on the other big cat, and what ensued was a rolling, snarling, playful wrestling match, the likes of which Wufei doubted he’d ever freely participated in before.

 

In the end, they collapsed in a furry pile, panting, something like a purr emanating from both of them for long minutes, Wufei experiencing a kind of pack camaraderie he’d never imagined.

 

After a while he rolled back to his feet and shook himself, before reaching for his magic, letting it wash over him and transform him back into a man.  He quirked his eyebrow at Trowa.

 

“ _Now_ can you shift?”

 

Trowa gave him a look of profound disappointment, and if he’d been able, Wufei thought he would have rolled his eyes.  A tingle of magic and Trowa was looking up at him from a cross-legged position on the ground, smirking.

 

Wufei rolled _his_ eyes, before moving to sit behind Trowa, pressing their backs together, adopting the familiar meditation pose he preferred.  After weeks of sleeping between Duo and Quatre, and the subtle admonitions and education he’d received from Trowa, he thought, perhaps, that he might help Trowa more by being in contact with him than instructing him from across the room.

 

“Tonight’s a full moon,” he answered Trowa’s unspoken question, though the other man surely knew that, the tension in his shoulders either from the knowledge or the unfamiliar position.  “So we’re going to see how long I can help you manage your shift.”

 

Trowa settled behind him, folding himself up into something resembling a yoga pose, and took a deep breath, both of them waiting.

 

The moon broke the horizon a half hour later, just after 2am, and long enough for Trowa to lose some of the coiled anxiety in his shoulders, to sink into the light meditation that allowed Wufei and the shifters of his clan to control their urges.

 

Wufei felt the sizzle of the call across his skin, something between an itch and a tingle, but brushed it off with long practice, reacting instead to the shiver that ran down Trowa’s spine, the minute shifting of muscles at his back.  He pressed back against the other man, and took a deep breath, carefully counting seconds of inhalation and exhalation.  Forced his heartbeat to slow into a steady, calm rhythm.

 

Took another deep breath, his back expanding against Trowa’s - encouraging him to breathe in tandem.

 

And another.

 

Trowa picked up on the hint, taking deep, shuddering breaths in time with Wufei’s, his heart pounding erratically at first, but gradually slowing as they began breathing in sync, Trowa’s heartbeat slowing until it was almost in time with Wufei’s, nearly perfect.  As Trowa gained more control over himself - the shivers easing and muscles relaxing - Wufei eased away until they weren’t touching at all, until he could circle around and watch the other man.

 

It was an incredible feat to resist the call of the moon.

 

Certainly harder than resisting Zechs Merquise.

 

Wufei snorted quietly, and Trowa’s eyes opened, slowly, to gaze at him.  “What’s so funny?” the other man murmured, sitting very still, breathing carefully.

 

Shaking his head, all Wufei offered was a pointed glance at the sky, where the moon hung low above them, round and bright in the clear air.

 

Trowa glanced up hesitantly, as though he were afraid to look, but when nothing happened, he gazed more openly, marveling.

 

“I haven’t seen a full moon in-” he stopped to take another breath, “since I was a child.”

 

Wufei had gotten Trowa’s origin story out of him the very first day they’d begun working this, crouched on the floor of the tea parlor, trying to explain meditation to the other man.

 

Trowa had been turned as a child - a small one, which was cruelty beyond measure, in Wufei’s opinion.  The first transition was… well in his clan they claimed it killed the unworthy.  Trowa’s entire family had been killed by rogue werelions.  He’d had parents and an older sister and aunts and cousins, all of whom travelled with a circus troupe, his parents aerialists and the other members of his family performing a variety of different acts, only to have all of it snatched away in terrifying, bloody horror. Days after, when Trowa lay scarred and feverish in what was left of his family’s trailer, another group of shifters had shown up, a group of mercenaries tracking the rogue band, and had taken Trowa under their wing as the only survivor, absorbing him into their group and giving him a new family.

 

A family that Zechs Merquise had ripped away from him years later, after the Captain had defied and insulted him at every turn, refusing to bend to the fae’s whims, even when he took to ‘training’ them with his own special brand of torture - injuring and healing them, leaving them scarred and nearly feral.  In the end, Merquise had grown tired of their defiance and left them, bleeding and dying outside the city.  The Captain had saved Trowa’s life as a final act, hiding him, distracting the fae, keeping Trowa from harm.

 

Ironically, Heero had found him, drawn to the death and decay, and brought him back to Duo, to the nightclub where he based most of his operation, to a job and a home and a life.

 

It seemed that the braided fae collected strays, Wufei thought, though he didn’t know how Heero had come to work for Duo in the first place.  Certainly he’d collected Wufei, whose backstory was now nearly as tragic as Trowa’s.

 

“Thank you,” Trowa breathed, drawing Wufei back to the present and out of his morbid recollections.

 

The walk back to the inn was noticeably further on human legs, but Trowa was maintaining his shift - or lack thereof - and Wufei didn’t want to give him reason to backslide, so walk they did, in companionable silence.  They arrived about an hour before dawn, tired but pleased, Trowa exulting in his newfound skill, to the astonished reactions of their comrades.

 

Wufei couldn’t stop the smug smirk that stretched across his face at Heero when they walked in.

 

Apparently, it was even more impressive than when Wufei had resisted the so-called Master of Beasts.

 

Heero’s look of unabashed relief and gratitude had done much to soothe Wufei’s lingering irritation at the man.

 

Duo and Quatre’s… demonstration of their appreciation had taken care of the rest.  

 

There were two more days of full moon - two more nights of coaxing Trowa through the meditation, of making sure he didn’t lose control of himself.  The second night was the hardest, the moon at its peak, but, sweating and shivering, Trowa managed, just barely, to maintain his human form.

 

“Go today,” Wufei advised him, privately, just before dawn on the final night.  “You have a full month before the next full moon, and if you can resist that, Merquise is child’s play.  His call is brief, and not all that compelling.”  

 

He said the last with a sneer, and Trowa smirked back at him.

 

Heero and Trowa were gone when Duo, Wufei and Quatre woke up later that evening.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one is a bit short! The next chapter will be longer, I promise! Thanks to everyone who is sticking with this!


	9. A Little Death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trowa is back, and he has some unexpected news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huge exposition-y stuff in this chapter, but not much in the way of action. We ARE going to finally find out who the Big Bad Guy is behind all of this! Get excited!

_ “Darling your looks can kill, so now you’re dead.” _

_ \- The Neighborhood, A Little Death _

* * *

 

Wufei woke up in a bleary haze, with a sense of urgency and his tiger practically itching under his skin.  It was early.  Far earlier than he typically woke up these days, the heat of the sun pressing against the blackout shades, and he couldn't understand what had woken him. 

 

There was no sense of danger.

 

Just a pressing need to be… downstairs?

 

He crawled out of bed, yawning, and paused to pull on a pair of shorts, the sensation of his cat impatient with even that, before slipping silently from the bedroom.  His instincts had never led him wrong before, and he was inclined to trust them now.

 

Wufei followed obediently down the stairs, into the small tea room that was practically reserved for their exclusive use, to find Heero and Trowa there, sitting on pillows in front of a low table, backs to the wall, eating dinner.  Or breakfast, or whatever meal it technically was.

 

Heero looked murderous, his face a thundercloud of rage, something that would normally have given Wufei pause, but the beast that was barely leashed beneath the surface took one golden-eyed glance at the other man and dismissed him.  As Wufei got closer, Heero moved to intercept, only to be surprised when Wufei snarled reflexively in response, continuing on his path.

 

The part of Wufei that was the human man felt a passing satisfaction at his ability to intimidate the necromancer, but the rest of him was wholly focused on Trowa.

 

Trowa, who was tense and agitated.  Wufei could glance at him and practically  _ see _ an irate lion twitching and pacing.  He’d lost weight, that much was clear, and he had dark shadows under his eyes that indicated he hadn’t had much sleep in the nearly three weeks they’d been gone.  

 

Wufei knelt silently at the edge of the table, waiting while Trowa tensed and then relaxed, accepting his presence. Heero watched him warily, but Wufei continued to ignore him in favor of Trowa. After a moment he scooted closer, sliding behind the table at Trowa’s side, until they were pressed together shoulder to shoulder. 

 

There was a moment of absolute stillness, of Trowa practically vibrating with tension, and Wufei made a dry chuffing sound, somewhere between amused and chiding, and the other man sagged in sudden relief, relaxing into Wufei’s familiar touch. 

 

Trowa turned back to his meal, empty dishes all around him, and Wufei chuffed again in satisfaction before shoving closer, wedging himself against Trowa and the wall. 

 

And promptly went back to sleep. 

 

Wufei woke up hours later, disoriented and with a crick in his neck, to the sensation of being watched.

 

He looked around, bewildered, to find himself curled up on the tea room cushions with Trowa, of all people, and Duo staring at him thoughtfully. 

 

“What happened?”  he asked, softly, mindful of the exhausted, sleeping man next to him.

 

“I think,” Duo answered, slowly, “that you have established yourself as Pack leader. Of a pack of two.”

 

Turning to look at the sleeping man next to him, Wufei was surprised by a fairly intense feeling of… protectiveness? and concern.

 

He sighed.

 

Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Heero hovering impatiently, and quirked an eyebrow at him.

 

Heero scowled.

 

Duo laughed at the two of them, and stood up, reaching to tug Wufei to his feet.  “Come upstairs, we’ve missed you.”  Wufei belatedly realized the other man had come down in sweats and a t-shirt, that it was still only mid-afternoon.

 

As soon as Wufei stepped out of range, Heero muscled his way past, coaxing Trowa up and onto his feet, though the other man was still only barely conscious. Wufei took a half step in his direction involuntarily, and Duo laughed again. 

 

“Heero can handle him, I promise. He’s had plenty of practice. And you’ve done all you can, I think.”

 

Wufei didn’t know what he had done, to be perfectly honest, but he trailed behind Duo obediently, back up to their room. 

 

It wasn’t until he finally saw Trowa again, four days later, that he realized how tense he’d been, waiting for the other man to reappear.  

 

The dark circles under Trowa’s eyes were gone and he’d clearly put back some of the weight he’d lost while he’d been playing spy.  

 

At least Heero seemed to be taking adequate care of the other shifter.  

 

Quatre shot Wufei an amused glance.

 

A part of Wufei hated how easy to read he had become.

 

Then again, it did come in handy, occasionally. 

 

Sometimes.

 

Ignoring the blond, Wufei eyed Trowa critically.  He looked well-rested, more comfortable in his own, human, skin.  Less twitchy...  But-

 

“How long did you spend shifted?” Wufei asked, bluntly.

 

Quatre and Duo both looked up with interest, and Heero’s head whipped around to look at Trowa in confusion.

 

Trowa half-shrugged, refusing to meet anyone’s eyes.

 

It didn’t matter, though, because Wufei had already seen them.  Where they had been green with flecks of gold, a color that was echoed in his lion form, they were now almost entirely golden yellow.  

 

Like a wild lion. 

 

Trowa had spent entirely too much time shifted while he was gone and Wufei wanted to know why.  He stared at the other man, waiting on a better answer.

 

Duo settled himself beside Wufei, both of them watching Trowa consume more calories than the average sumo wrestler, obviously replenishing his still-depleted system.  

 

Finally, Duo cleared his throat.

 

Trowa sighed in resignation.

 

“When I got to the area,” he began, between bites, Heero nudging plates and cups closer to him, “Merquise was definitely there.”

 

Duo scowled.  

 

Merquise was more than familiar with Trowa, as his multiple visits to Duo’s clubs in the past indicated, and Trowa would have been easily recognizable to him, especially with his distinctive fall of hair.  

 

“You didn’t spend the entire three weeks as a lion?” Wufei blurted out, aghast at the idea.

 

“No, of course not.” Trowa shook his head.  “He was only there for a few days before he left again, on some kind of errand, and then I was able to shift back. At least until Merquise returned.”

 

Several… days.  Trowa had spent  _ days _ as a lion.  Wufei shook his head, but pressed his lips together in effort not to interrupt again.  They needed this information more than he needed to know exactly how Trowa had faired.

 

Even if he wanted to know.

 

Felt like he  _ needed _ to know.

 

It could wait.  He could wait.

 

“Merquise sends bands of lions out, roving, to attack and bite strangers, and then the ones who turn, they direct to the cave.  He’s trying to create a pack.”  Trowa snorted.  Packs weren’t created at random just because one could shift.  Wufei was beginning to understand a bit about what made a pack, a real pack, and a common ability to transform into the same animal obviously wasn’t it.

 

Wufei’s lip curled in disgust, and he could feel Duo’s distaste.  

 

But the appearance of random lions at unknown intervals helped Trowa to blend, allowed them this information, so, again, he kept his thoughts to himself. 

 

“What about the other fae that Wufei mentioned?” Quatre asked, redirecting all their thoughts.

 

Trowa shrugged again, still shoveling food into his mouth.

 

Wufei wondered if he’d had to scavenge for food, during his time as a lion, or during his entire time in Merquise’s not-so-merry band of men.

 

It would explain a lot.

 

“I didn’t get a good look at him.  We weren’t really encouraged to go in the cave.  I found a few excuses.” Trowa looked up to meet Wufei’s gaze.  “There’s a girl inside. A prisoner.  Looks like one of yours.”  He paused.  “Zechs has been trying to… persuade her… to join his cause.  She hasn’t been very receptive to the idea.  He hasn’t been easy on her.”

 

Wufei felt the rush of rage overtake him, felt Quatre’s hand reach out and wrap around his wrist as he took slow, deep breaths.

 

_ Meilan. _

 

He made a low, keening sound in the back of his throat.

 

Recognized that he felt the same way about her that he did about Trowa.  That he considered her part of  _ his _ pack.   

 

Quatre’s grip tightened as he struggled to control himself.

 

Trowa had gone back to his meal.  “The other lions are adrift.  Just hanging around for lack of a better idea.  They come and go - they lack a place.”  He looked up to meet Wufei’s gaze again, unspoken communication passing between them.  “They’d likely join us, or at least stand aside, given the opportunity.”

 

Wufei nodded in understanding.

 

Began to realize he was maybe in for more than he’d bargained for.

 

More than the bonded relationship with an ancient fae and aging vampire, anyway.

 

Quatre snorted in amusement as his fingers withdrew.

 

“Who’s the other fae?” Duo asked, idly, looking for all the world like he was just mildly curious.

 

But Wufei could feel the intensity radiating off of him, and wondered about it.

 

Trowa swallowed whatever was in his mouth, chasing it with water.

 

“Merquise called him Treize,” he said, finally, reaching for another dish, “but I never got any... more…” he trailed off, looking at Duo.

 

Duo, who was always beautiful, whose smiles hid a deeper pain, a deadly power, who adopted strays and orphans, who gave shelter to the weak.

 

Duo, whom Wufei had seen at, he thought, the height of his power, glowing with the unpalatable flush of the recently dead, ephemeral and gorgeous, seductive and provocative and deadly.

 

He looked nothing like that now.

 

Oh, he was still beautiful, in the way that belladonna was beautiful - sweet smelling and fatal.  Luring in the unsuspecting passersby, and tempting them into eternal slumber with perfect curves and fragrant ease.

 

Gone was the man who looked human, young and attractive; and gone, even, was the obviously magical but still recognizable fae, eyes aglow and magic seeping from his skin.

 

In his place was a thing of immeasurable power and instant death.

 

The shadows in the room seemed to grow, alive and responsive to the particular tang of Duo’s magic, and Duo himself looked how Wufei imagined the devil would look, just before he offered you something you couldn’t refuse, at the low, low price of your very soul.

 

He was all sharp angles and twisting grace.  Gaunt and haunting and irresistable and indescribable.  Indigo eyes and hair that was alive with magic.

 

Wufei felt a chill crawling over his skin.  He reached out, his fingertips barely touching Duo’s skin, and he hissed out a breath as he snatched his hand back, the tips of his fingers grey and numb, as though the very life had been sucked out of them.

 

Trowa leaned back, away from the pull of the grave, though Heero seemed oddly entranced, leaning in unconsciously, reacting to the swirl of magic.

 

Quatre called Duo’s name to no response, and, firming his jaw, he reached out, wrapping his fingers around Duo’s forearm, squeezing.

 

Wufei watched in alarm, as he seemed to wither, slightly, his cheeks hollowing and his eyes growing larger in his face.  He tugged, impatiently, at Duo’s arm, and finally,  _ finally _ , the fae - and Wufei recognized, now, on an instinctual level he hadn’t done before, that Duo was  _ not _ a man, but a being of immense power - sucked in a breath, strangling his magic down, tucking it away.  Until only the man Wufei was used to seeing remained, his hair draped around his shoulders and his eyes hard and dark - the only evidence of the display remaining the deep bluish-purple of his eyes.

 

He got up and stalked out, Wufei watching in bewilderment as Duo stomped up the stairs, presumably to their bedroom.

 

When he moved to follow, Quatre reached out, snagging his arm.  Wufei turned back to him in confusion, noting that he looked tired and wan, though the gaunt look of his face had receded.  He needed blood, Wufei knew, but it was probably better satisfied in private.

 

“Let him go,” Quatre advised, releasing his elbow.

 

With one last look toward the ceiling, where Wufei knew their room to be situated, he turned back to Trowa.

 

“What else?” he asked, impatient for the end of the conversation in a way he hadn’t been before, anxious to be upstairs where he knew his lover needed him.

 

Trowa shrugged again, finally pushing a myriad of empty dishes away.  “Not much.  I think Treize - or whoever he was - sent Merquise to pester Duo.  He was gone a couple of weeks, and Treize didn’t seem to much care what we did as long as we didn’t bother him.  Just more of Merquise’s ‘pets’,” he said the last with disgust, and Wufei got the impression it was as much for the fae he was speaking of as it was for the nickname.  “I spent a lot of time trying to talk to your friend, but she wasn’t very interested in talking.”

 

That could have meant anything.  Meilan had never been the most friendly of the clan.  

 

But she was alive, and that meant  _ everything _ .

 

“Anyway, Merquise came back and I spent another few days hanging around to see if anything cropped up, but they’re careful not to talk much around the shifters.  Worried about loyalty.”

 

Wufei snorted.

 

“Thank you.”  Wufei said the words with all the sincerity he could muster, motioning to leave, Quatre right behind him.

 

He was nearly to the door when Trowa spoke again.

 

“Wufei.”

 

He turned to meet the other man’s golden gaze, a permanent testament to what he’d gone through to bring them this information. 

 

“She’s going to need a lot of support.”

 

Wufei nodded, even as he mentally recoiled from the idea of Meilan needing  _ anything _ .  She had always been fiercely independent and determined, rejecting any and all offers of help.

 

Hopefully Duo would have some ideas.

 

*

 

Duo’s ideas were all murder and mayhem, judging by the agitated pacing and the crackle of magic in the room when Wufei and Quatre arrived.  The whole bedroom seemed sinister, shadows growing and retreating, unrelated to the distribution of light, obviously drawn to the darker power at the center of the room.

 

Duo wasn’t quite back to the fae creature he’d been in the tea room, but it was obvious he was riding a fine line of control.  

 

Wufei hung back.  It had already been demonstrated to him that he was, well, not in danger, per se, but that he was no match for the man when he was like this, and it was better to let Quatre handle it.

 

The blond strode across the room, undeterred, to stop directly in Duo’s path.  

 

“He’s fucking  _ here _ ,” Duo hissed, face feral and voice grating.  “He’s here, he’s been here the whole time and-”

 

“Yes,” Quatre answered firmly, “he is.  And this is our opportunity to be rid of him, finally, but not if you’re flying into a rage in the dining room and nearly murdering Wufei in the process!”

 

Duo looked up, stricken, at Wufei, who was still standing hesitantly near the door.

 

Turned back to Quatre, where he took in the paler-than-usual countenance.

 

“Fuck,” the other man muttered.  “Fuck!”  He turned away, tugging at his hair.

 

He looked like a man possessed.  

 

But the shadows retreated, and Wufei edged cautiously closer.

 

“Duo,” Quatre sounded softer this time, more empathetic, moving closer, reaching out to run his hands across Duo’s shoulders.  The fae shuddered. “Duo, we have to have a plan.  We can’t go charging in half-cocked.  He’s already nearly killed Wufei once.”

 

_ That _ got a response, a twisted emotional outburst of hurt and rage and fear that Wufei felt from across the room, before Duo somehow managed to stuff it back down.

 

“And we need to plan for Meilan.”

 

“What?”  Duo echoed Wufei’s own thoughts.

 

“Zechs has been torturing her.  Probably Treize too.”  Quatre sounded grim, and left too much unsaid, which made Wufei wonder how often this had happened.

 

“I can…”  Duo took a deep breath.  Leaned into Quatre for a moment, and something between them seemed to click, to balance, and the awful power that had consumed Duo finally seemed to retreat completely, just leaving the man behind.  Quatre looked less wan.  He motioned towards Wufei, and he went willingly, drawn into their embrace.

 

After a moment, Duo withdrew again, looking more focused.  “Let me call Hilde and tell her, so she can prepare.”

 

He strode across the room, to the mirror above the bureau, and ran his fingers across the glass.

 

There was the faintest trace of magic, like a summons, and then Hilde’s face shimmered into view, in place of Duo’s reflection.  

 

This was… new, and Wufei watched with interest.

 

When Duo said he had to call people, Wufei had assumed he meant a telephone.

 

Not, whatever this was.

 

“Hilde,” Duo greeted, and the other woman inclined her head.  

 

For the first time, Wufei noticed the extensive scarring on her throat.  He hadn’t seen it last time, either because he hadn’t been paying attention, or maybe she’d had it covered.  He couldn’t recall.

 

“Has Merquise come calling?”

 

Hilde grimaced and nodded.  There were several rapid hand motions that followed, something he assumed was some form of sign language, but he was lost as to what it meant.

 

That certainly explained the lack of phone.

 

Duo hummed thoughtfully.

 

“If he returns, keep stalling.  Don’t tell him where we are.”  She nodded again, looking at him expectantly.  “We should be home soon, I hope.  And…” he paused, weighing his words.  “I think we’ll have a new guest.  Someone who might benefit from your particular… assistance.”

 

Hilde looked pained, grief over some deep loss crossing her face and passing, and then she nodded again.  There were more rapid-fire hand motions.

 

“We’re unsure,” Duo answered, “we haven’t brought her home yet.”

 

The fae woman’s face hardened, and she made a gesture that even Wufei interpreted as instructions to bring her back immediately, and Duo laughed, though it was bitter.  

 

“We’ll do our best Hil.  You know that.”

 

She smiled, eyes crinkling at the corners, and lifted her hand, pressing it to the glass on her side of the mirror.  Duo reached up, lining their fingers up.  After a moment she faded from view.

 

He turned back around to face Wufei and Quatre, who had moved to the foot of the bed to sit and wait and observe, and sighed.  

 

To Wufei’s eyes, Quatre just looked relieved, but he was still so very confused. 

 

“I think,” he finally said, “that it’s time you explained to me just what is going on here.”

 

Duo sighed again, and collapsed into one of the chairs in the room, running his hand through his hair.  

 

“It is,” the other man agreed.  “I owe you an explanation.  But it’s a long story.  So long, and it starts so very long ago and for tonight… just for tonight can we wait?  We don’t have a lot of time, but we have some.  And I’d like to spend it with the two of you.  Just us.  And the bed.”

 

Quatre huffed a laugh.

 

Wufei recalled that he’d noted the vampire’s need for blood downstairs, and he felt tired and worn himself, just from that one brief touch.  He nodded his acquiescence.  “Fine.  Fine.  Tomorrow you can reveal all of your sordid past and all of the details of the big bad wolf, and tonight we’ll just… feed Quatre, I guess.”

 

The blond laughed outright at that.

 

“I do have one question.”  Duo paused from where he’d begun climbing out of the chair, looking at Wufei expectantly.  “Why would Hilde be able to help Meilan?”

 

Duo’s face turned dark again, and Wufei was sorry he’d asked.  “Because she was a special guest of Zechs herself, a long time ago.”  He paused for a moment, obviously deep in his memories.  “She had a very beautiful singing voice, once.”

 

And then he stood, shedding his clothes and coming over to the bed to settle himself in the middle.  Wufei and Quatre undressed as well, following him into the bed, bracketing him between them.

 

Duo turned towards Quatre first, offering his throat, and the vampire leaned in, nuzzling his neck, and then there was the break of skin and the resultant emotions, washing over all three of them.  Not lust, this time, but comfort and peace and acceptance, and something Wufei thought was love, and the resulting spill was comfortable and content.  It left Wufei tired and languid and relaxed.  Then Duo rolled back, to gaze at Wufei, eyes tracing his face as he brought the fingertips of his hands, perfectly normal and healthy, to his lips and kissed them one by one.  Then he leaned over and kissed Wufei, slow and thorough, expressing the same mixture of emotions, passing back whatever he’d accidentally stolen from the other man in his rage, and then some, leaving Wufei flush with power, his cat shifting contentedly under his skin, Wufei almost purring in contentment.  

 

They shuffled together, arranging limbs and blankets, keeping Duo in the middle, and tried to rest.

 

It was a long time before the braided fae slept, Wufei lying awake and listening to his breathing.

 

A very long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SURPRISE!
> 
> Did everyone know who the villain was going to be already, or was this a complete surprise or? Cmon, give me the deets, I wanna know how I did with the mysterious suspense!


	10. Black Sea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wherein we finally get Duo's backstory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations at the end of the chapter.

_“You rise, I fall, I stand, you crawl,_

_You twist, I turn, who’s the first to burn?”_

_- Natasha Blume, Black Sea_

* * *

 

 

Wufei woke disoriented and confused, not where he expected to be.

 

Not anywhere he recognized either, and he could smell something burning in the distance.

 

He felt panicked, but distantly.  As though he weren’t really in touch with his own emotions.

 

The thought should have been more alarming.

 

He looked around, taking in his surroundings, elegant and sumptuous and _alien_ in a way he couldn’t quite express.  He appeared to be in a bedroom, of some sort, draped in shimmering shifts of color, the fabric itself changing before his eyes, midnight black one moment and flashes of deep emerald and sapphire the next.

 

Like the slick on oil, or the rainbow gleam of a beetle’s shell.

 

Dark and beautiful and strange.

 

Wufei wondered where Duo and Quatre were, but the question had that same distant quality as his own panic and confusion.  Like it was slightly out of reach.  Muffled.

 

The door to the room flew open on silent hinges, and Wufei realized it was opulent and ridiculously tall, and, looking up, he couldn’t even make out a ceiling in the room, something else he found strange.  Hilde ran into the room, looking frantic, and somehow different than he had seen her before, though it had only been the barest glimpse, and a look through an enchanted mirror.

 

Younger or lighter than he remembered her to be.  Dressed in a shimmering finery that was very different from the dark, unremarkable clothing she’d worn when she’d brought him his sword, months ago.

 

She leaned over him, reaching to shake him, and Wufei flinched back, but her hands never touched him.  

 

When she spoke, that’s when he realized he was dreaming.

 

Hoped he was dreaming.

 

“Dianthe,” she whispered, and even in the dream - or whatever it was - the clear notes of her voice washed over him, making him think of sea cliffs and thunderstorms. “Wake up!”  She sounded urgent, afraid, and Wufei wished whoever she was trying to wake would get up and answer her.

 

He wondered why he was dreaming of her at all.

 

Wufei had never had a dream like this one.  So real he could feel the slide of the sheets beneath him, could hear a voice he’d never imagined, could smell smoke.

 

A scent that was getting stronger.

 

Hilde shook whoever it was again, more fiercely, and the figure in the bed that Wufei hadn’t noticed, somehow, shifted and sat up.

 

He was startled to recognize Duo, though he looked younger, almost child-like, hair long and loose, eyes luminescent in the dark room.  What had she called him?  Dianthe?

 

“Merial?”  He sounded younger, and different too, his voice carrying a tone that made Wufei’s head swim in the same way the moon made his skin itch.

 

And since when was he so poetic?

 

“We must go.  Quickly.”  Hilde - or Merial, or whoever she was - tugged Duo to his feet, out of the bed, and pulled him towards the door.

 

“Wait, Mer, I-”  Duo resisted, slightly.

 

“There’s no _time_ ,” she insisted, pulling more firmly, and when she opened the door further, Wufei could see distant flames, fire, unlike anything he’d seen before.  White-hot and consuming everything in its path.

 

“What is _happening_?” Duo demanded, and Wufei could, now, hear a trace of the man he knew, the barest stretching of power coloring his words.

 

Hilde ignored the demand, simply pulling him faster behind her, even as she hissed out an answer.  “ _An Coitcheann_ is here.”

 

Duo dug in his heels further, despite the encroaching heat, which Wufei felt ghosting across his skin, and thought it must be immense.  He could see sweat breaking out on Duo’s face, Hilde’s gown clinging to her shoulders.  “My father-”

 

“They’re all _dead_ , Dianthe,” she finally interrupted, the words ringing despite the lack volume, and something about them allowed Wufei’s panic to finally touch him, for his reaction to make itself known, and he moved to usher Duo along, and found himself unable to do anything.  

 

It was like being a ghost.

 

He sincerely hoped _he_ wasn’t dead too.

 

Duo stared at Hilde helplessly, confusion and frustration and disbelief passing across his features.  She reached out to take his hand, but he took another step back, out of her reach, and whirled to head in the opposite direction.

 

Towards the flames.

 

“No!” Wufei called, speaking for the first time, but no one heard him.

 

Hilde darted after him, but Duo was faster, slipping through the shadows like he was a part of them, Hilde a shining beacon in the darkness, around the light of the flames.

 

Duo pulled another door open, only to be forced back by a wall of the strange fire, crying out as it blew through the opening, catching the edge of his clothing alight instantly, searing up his side.  Hilde was right behind him, wrenching the garment over his shoulders and tossing it away, where it continued to burn fiercely, forgotten.

 

Wufei could see the red, angry burn marks across Duo’s back and side, matching the scars he was intimately familiar with.

 

Then the dream seemed to speed up, fluid like water, details lost in the rush to leave the place they were in, stealing out in the dead of night, a full moon hanging heavily in the sky, though Wufei didn’t feel its call, and Hilde led a weakened, stumbling Duo through surroundings washed silver and grey by the moonlight.  

 

A forest perhaps, though not one Wufei had ever seen before.

 

They stopped, finally, after hours or an eternity, or mere minutes - it was impossible to say.  Outside an imposing stone church.

 

“Stay here,” Hilde whispered.  “Be safe.  Hidden.  Come back when you are able.”

 

“But-” Duo argued, looking mulish.

 

“No.  You are all that’s left of the Dark Court.  And you aren’t ready.   _An Coitcheann_ has seen to that.  He thinks you dead.  Be well.  Prove him wrong.”  Hilde said the last few words with a heated anger.

 

She took another step back, looking at him strangely, as though she knew she were seeing him for the last time.  “I must go, before I am missed.”

 

“Mer-”  She cut him off with a fierce hand motion.  “Names have power.  Do not use them here.”

 

Duo nodded, swallowing hard.  “When I come,” he answered her, and again, the thread of the man Wufei knew peeked through, voice hard and dark and full of eternal promise, “I will bring Death with me.”

 

She nodded with approval, fading into the surrounding woods.

 

Swallowing hard, Duo turned back to the doors of the church.  He closed his eyes.  Took a deep breath.  Released it.  When he opened them again, he looked even younger than before.  A child.  And more human.  Dirty and scruffy.  He settled himself into the corner of the door, looking like a harmless urchin, and settled in to wait, eventually nodding off, or appearing to.

 

In the blink of an eye, the scene shifted in a blur, from night until morning, to Duo blinking awake as the door of the church opened, a kind-looking nun startled to find him on the doorstep. Shouted for someone to get Father Maxwell.

 

*

 

Wufei woke with a gasp, heart thudding in his ears, to find Duo sitting up in bed, sorrow pouring off of him in waves.

 

In a flash, Wufei understood.  That he’d been privy to some private grief of Duo’s, by chance, perhaps, because of their bond.  Quatre was still sleeping soundly next to them, so he’d clearly been exempt.

 

Hesitantly, Wufei reached out to touch Duo, unwilling to disturb him and unable to let him suffer.

 

The long-haired fae jerked at the brush of his hand, twisting to meet Wufei’s eyes.  

 

He looked at once both young and old.  Ancient and eternally youthful.  His face was that of the young man he’d been when Hilde had woken him, but his eyes were weary with bitter betrayal and excruciating loss.  

 

Duo blinked at him in confusion and dawning realization.

 

“I’m sorry,” Wufei offered, simply, though whether he was apologizing for the events of the dream - a dream which was obviously a painful piece of Duo’s past - or for his having witnessed them, he wasn’t entirely sure himself.

 

“ _An Coitcheann_ ,” Duo responded, bitterly, “The General. Treize.  Epyon.  They’re all the same.  He’s taken everything, _everything_ , from me, from you, from everyone I’ve ever cared about.”  

 

Wufei slid his hand down along Duo’s bare arm to twine their fingers together.

 

“When he destroyed my family, my home, he convinced some of the vampire nobles to help him - promised them all sorts of things - and they let him in, showed him the way to the Dark Court.  And he burned it to ashes around me.”  Wufei could see, faintly, the still-present scarring along Duo’s side, trailed his fingers along the edges, now that they had taken on new meaning for him.

 

The other man shuddered under his touch.

 

“When the plot was revealed, Treize was banished by Finvarra, _Rìgh Soilleir_ _,_ King of the Seelie Court.”  The name held an echo of power, even to Wufei’s ears.  Duo paused, lips twisting bitterly.  “Finvarra had two children.  Relena.  And Milliardo.”  He glanced up at Wufei, jaw tense and hard.  “You might recognize Milliardo if you saw him - as Zechs Merquise.”

 

The growl pushed its way past Wufei’s throat without his permission, and Duo smiled mirthlessly.

 

“It wasn’t until much later, after years and years of Mer- of Hilde being careful and cautious, that his part in the plot was revealed, that he’d been a key instigator in the destruction of the Unseelie Court.  He fled in the night, when one of the shifters he’d been… playing with… stumbled in and revealed it all.  Disappeared from Court forever. Treize had been gone a century or more, and it never occurred to me that they might still be working in concert.”

 

Duo paused again, and took a shuddering breath.

 

“He took Hilde with him.”

 

Silence, Wufei’s horrified, and Duo’s painful.

 

“It took me fifty years to find him, for my power to manifest.  He may be Seelie, but he leaves a trail of death and destruction wherever he goes.” He looked up to meet Wufei’s eyes, and Wufei could see the pain and the shame in them.  “I was so young when it happened.  Older, much older, than you are now, but by fae standards… I was nothing.  Fae don’t come into their power for hundreds of years.  Five, maybe six, and they’re considered children until then.  When Hilde saved me, I was… barely 400 years old.  And then I hid, like a coward, until I heard she’d been taken.  Then I searched.”  His eyes pleaded with Wufei for understanding, for forgiveness.

 

Wufei drew him into an embrace, and he shuddered.

 

“I took her back,” Duo said it fiercely.  “I don’t know how he knew about her, or if he took her to hurt me, but I took her back.”

 

Wufei wondered what that had cost the other man, young and newly coming into his own.  Both in terms of power and his heart.

 

“But she never sang again.”  The words were soft, and anguished, and Wufei’s heart bled for the loss.

 

“Come to bed,” Wufei coaxed, rubbing soothing hands up and down Duo’s spine.  “You can tell me the rest tomorrow.  For now, come, and rest.”  He drew the other man down beside him, snug between himself and Quatre, and continued his soft touches, running his fingers through Duo’s long, silky hair.

 

Eventually Duo fell asleep, but Wufei didn’t.

 

His anger was too hot and bright for that.

 

*

 

Wufei woke up alone, but in familiar surroundings, in their bed in the inn, sprawled out across the bed, the sheets around him cool.

 

Obviously the others had been up for a while.

 

He sat up slowly, stretching, recalling the events of the night a bit hazily, the details somewhat faded.

 

Duo was sitting at the small table across the room, focused on the objects on his hand, which glinted in the light of the low lamp he’d lit.

 

Knives, Wufei realized, as they flashed dully with Duo’s movements, as he sharpened them with low, slow strokes.

 

The other man was wearing gloves, and Wufei realized the blades must be made of forged iron.

 

Quatre was nearby, lounging in another chair, a similar pair of blades in his hands as he tested them for balance.

 

Wufei snorted.  “Should I be sharpening my sword then?” he asked, dryly, and Duo started, turning to glance at him.  Quatre huffed a quiet laugh.

 

Duo opened his mouth to answer then closed it, eyeing him with consideration.  “Bring it to me and let’s find out.”

 

Blinking in surprise, Wufei climbed out of the bed and went to retrieve the weapon, pulling it from the bottom drawer of bureau and passing it over to the long haired man.  Quatre sat forward in his chair, elbows on his knees, as Duo unsheathed it and held it up in the light.

 

It was razor sharp.  Wufei was careful to keep it in pristine fighting condition, but Duo didn’t reach for the edge.  He examined the blade closely, including the marking near the hilt, the one that identified it.  

 

Instead of testing the blade though, Duo tugged his left glove off with his teeth and reached out to ran the flat of his hand along the back of the blade, where it was dull and unsharpened, before snatching it back with a hiss, a red line marking his palm.

 

He grinned darkly up at Wufei as he passed it back, his hand already starting to heal.  “Oh yes, you’ll definitely be bringing this along.”

 

Wufei sheathed the sword with a snort.

 

It was forged steel, he knew, but he hadn’t realized it had enough iron content to injure a fae.

 

It was… useful knowledge, considering their upcoming activities.

 

Replacing the sword, Wufei pulled a simple, high-back chair from the corner of the room, closer to the small table Quatre and Duo were gathered around, flipping it around so that he could lean his arms on the back and watch them work.

 

“So…” he ventured, finally, after several moments of silence.

 

Quatre quirked an eyebrow at him in question, but Duo’s gaze remained studiously on his task.

 

Wufei sighed.

 

“Was it a dream?” Directness might get him farther than beating around the bush, in this case.  And there was no reason he could think of to pretend it hadn’t happened.  “Or something else?”

 

Now Quatre was staring at him in unabashed curiosity, and Duo set his knives aside with a sigh of his own, tossing his gloves alongside them.

 

“It was a dream,” the fae answered finally, “and it wasn’t.”  He paused before continuing.  “It was a nightmare really, and a memory, and I’m sorry you became… involved.”

 

Wufei snorted this time.  He wasn’t sure they could be more _involved_ than they already were.

 

Quatre glanced between the two of them, a frown between his eyebrows, before he leaned back to watch and wait.

 

“So it was real?”

 

“It was… a very long time ago,” Duo answered, after a moment.  “And yes, it was very real.”

 

Wufei frowned in puzzlement, trying to sort it all out in his mind.  Thought back to what Duo had told him during the night, to what he had seen in his sleep.

 

“Hilde-” he said the name questioningly, unsure if he was making the right assumptions, but Duo nodded at him to continue, “saved you, from someone? From this Treize, or Epyon, or whatever he’s calling himself?”

 

Duo’s throat worked as he swallowed, but he nodded again.

 

“But she called you-”

 

Duo held his hand up, making a quick, jerking motion that startled Wufei into silence.  “Don’t.”  He looked up, took in the surprise on Wufei’s face, and sighed again.  

 

“Names…” he licked his lips, searching Wufei’s face.  “Names tell you who you are, right?  You’re Chang Wufei - it tells you your heritage, your clan, where you came from, who you are.”

 

Wufei wasn’t at all sure about that anymore, but he nodded anyway.  Waited for Duo to continue.

 

“Fae names have power.  They tell you what you are, not just who.  We keep them secret.  Safe.  Hidden.”

 

And now Wufei knew Duo’s.  The other man was watching him intently, watched as he absorbed the knowledge, and the implications.

 

“And… that’s yours?” Wufei asked, still unsure of himself.

 

“One of them.” Duo answered.

 

Quatre, Wufei could see out of the corner of his eye, was still watching them, eyebrows raised in surprise at this newest revelation.

 

“Do most fae have more than one?” Wufei asked, finally.

 

Duo grinned, and his face shifted, a little, revealing a bit of the being underneath, the one Wufei had seen the night before in the tea room.  The threat of death that lurked beneath the surface.

 

“My parents gave me a name, something beautiful.  Because they thought _I_ was beautiful. A flower of the gods.” He snorted derisively.  “But I’m more than just a pretty face, hmm?”

 

The grin spread, the edges curling sharply, and he looked increasingly more otherworldly, reminding Wufei again of the comparison he’d made to belladonna - beautiful, sweet smelling, and deadly.

 

“I’m the boogeyman, ‘Fei.  The Grim Reaper.  Death rides a pale horse.”

 

Another name, darker, whispered across his mind, and Wufei shivered violently.

 

_Ankou_

 

He opened his eyes, unaware that he’d even closed them, to find Duo turned back to his work, bent over the edges of the blades, looking like the short encounter had never occurred, his hair wisping across his shoulders, violet eyes trained on the sharp edges of the blades.

 

“Most fae only have one name,” Duo finally spoke into the silence, “but I have two.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translated things:
> 
> Dianthe - 'Flower of the Gods/Divine Flower'  
> Merial - 'Shining Sea'  
> An Coitcheann - 'The General'  
> Finvarra - legendary King of the Connaught fairies and known for his benevolence towards humans  
> Rìgh Soilleir - 'Bright King'  
> Ankou - the Fae Grim Reaper
> 
> Shout out to ClaraxBarton for helping me research all of them, her suggestions were incomparably perfect. 
> 
> And as always, my eternal love and thanks to ChronicWhimsy for her excellent beta reading, hand holding, and plot enabling.


	11. Game of Survival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which our heroes finally confront the Big Bad and we learn a few things about the whys and wherefores

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Muchos Gracias to Maeve who, frankly, talked me through this chapter because it was a bitch to write. I hate dialogue as an exposition tool, but there wasn't much for it here. She did a really excellent job of prodding me forward and helping me decide what needed explicit explantation and what could be inferred. 
> 
> Also - if you haven't read Death is Calling (which I recently posted) this is a shameless plug for you to go take a peek, because it has a Duo POV, which is something sorely lacking from this series and you might find interesting to compare to Treize's words and thoughts. Or so I'm told.

_“There’s no surrender, and there’s no escape._

_Are we the hunters? Or are we the prey?”_

\- Ruelle, Game of Survival

* * *

 

The trip hadn’t seemed quite so far when Wufei had traversed it before, shifted into his tiger form and running mad on rage and grief.  

 

Traveling from the modest inn, where they’d made their home for the last several weeks, to the cave of Wufei’s nightmares was a much more involved affair when it included so many other people.  As usual, Quatre couldn’t travel during the day.  Which wasn’t a problem for Wufei or Trowa, who saw well at night, or Duo, who seemed almost a part of the darkness when it suited him, but it did make Heero ill-tempered as he struggled to keep pace with the others.  

 

Quatre spent the entire first night needling him, of course, until Duo had finally pulled him aside and said something to him that made him stop.

 

For which Wufei was grateful, because nights of listening to them bicker would be too much for any of them.  

 

It was already three days of special tents and sleeping bags and none of the creature comforts they’d all become accustomed to.  Heero and Quatre’s normally-amusing rivalry was just too much on top of everything else.

 

Arriving at the outskirts of the cave, where the woods thinned into scrub at the edges of the mountain was almost a relief.  It was nearing midnight of their third night traveling when they finally reached their destination, Trowa growing increasingly more agitated the nearer they got, before he finally drew to a halt just outside a copse of trees.

 

“This is about where their patrols stop, when they’re organized enough to patrol,” he offered in his low, gravelly voice.

 

They had some brief debate about whether or not they should backtrack and spend another day resting, but Duo decided - and Wufei agreed - that they would be risking the element of surprise by doing that, possibly sacrificing one of their few advantages. Instead, they backtracked and dumped their modest supplies, leaving behind tents and bags and bulky items, taking only their weapons and clothing, and what few rations might be needed.

 

They were hoping for a quick outcome, rather than a drawn out chase, but worst case scenario - that they were captured or killed - still meant they wouldn’t be needing much in the way of food.  

 

And they’d need the rest on their way back, Wufei thought firmly, as he hid the pile behind a boulder, covering it carefully in loose rocks and scavenged scrub, where he hoped animals wouldn’t bother with it.  It would be better to mark it, but that might attract the wrong sort of attention if Zechs was still attracting new lions to the area, so the the dirt and leaves would have to do.

 

Jogging back over to the group, Trowa gave him a nod of approval, and Wufei rolled his eyes in response.  Retracing their steps, they headed back through the woods towards the cave.  Though quiet, they weren’t especially stealthy in their movements.  Duo had explained, quite matter-of-factly, that it would be nearly impossible to mask their approach when they got close anyway.  Besides the troupe of lions roaming the area, who would certainly get a whiff of tiger and be on alert, Fae were not especially skilled at masking their presence from one another.  

 

Duo, in particular, would not go unnoticed, his Unseelie magic so different from the Seelie flavor both Zechs and Treize would be familiar with.

 

The best he could do, was hide the extent of his magic, make himself appear smaller and less powerful than he was.  Hide his connections to the rest of the group.  Just inside the treeline he paused to take a deep breath, and Wufei felt the magic around him _shimmer_.  

 

Just like in the dream, which he remembered some bits of with startling clarity, and some almost not at all, where Duo had stood a man in his prime, he now appeared to be much younger - late teens or early twenties, and Wufei could only feel the barest wisp of his presence, even with their connection.

 

Quatre, too, looked younger, less dangerous, softer in a way Wufei couldn’t quite describe.

 

Trowa made a sound of surprise, but when Wufei turned to look at him, Trowa was staring at Wufei rather than their other companions.

 

“What?” he was compelled to ask.

 

Trowa blinked at him, the new golden yellow color of his eyes flashing.  “I wish I had a mirror to hand you.  You don’t look a day over 18.”

 

Wufei snorted.  He hadn’t been 18 in a very long time.  He held his hands out in front of him, but he couldn’t see much difference in them.  They looked a little thinner, perhaps, less calloused.

 

They _felt_ the same.

 

He glanced up at Duo in curiosity, but the other man was eyeing Trowa and Heero consideringly before shrugging.  “I can’t do much for you two, I’m sorry. My glamour only stretches to include Wufei and Quatre. Try to at least _look_ less intimidating.”  He added the last dryly, directed at Heero, who was glowering at everything and nothing at once.  “The idea is to appear harmless, because it will get us further.  Treize will be curious as to why we’re here.”

 

The _I hope_ went unspoken.

 

They could fight their way into the cave if they had to, but it would put Meilan at unnecessary risk, and tire them before they ever reached their goal.

 

They strode boldly out of the forest, a group of five young-looking men, headed directly towards the hidden entrance of the cave, Wufei in the lead.

 

Halfway across the scrublands, a group of four surrounded them, two men and two women, low growls emanating from their throats.  Wufei’s group drew to a halt, Trowa and Heero reaching for weapons, but Wufei eyed the newcomers, eyes flashing, and let loose a growl of his own, the threat clear in the long, low tone.

 

“I suggest,” he added, when the four of them took a half step back in response, “that you allow us to pass.”  He waited while they exchanged looks, noted that three of them seemed to be deferring to the blonde woman at his left.  He turned his attention to focus on her.  “In fact, it might behoove you to be as far from this place as possible, before dawn.”

 

She met his gaze but was unable to hold it for more than a second or two, lowering her eyes to his feet.  She nodded, stepping back, the other three following suit.  

 

As they melted into the darkness around them, Quatre called out suddenly, sounding young, warm and welcoming, and Wufei blinked in surprise, turning to look at the blond, the tone nearly as unexpected as the words.

 

“I’ve heard Galway is nice this time of year,” the vampire offered, though the smirk on his face was more smug than friendly.  Beside him, Duo rolled his eyes.

 

Galway was where Wufei had first met the pair of them, where his journey with them had begun, and he was surprised to hear Quatre sending some rogue werelions back there.

 

“What?” the blond asked, catching Wufei’s questioning look.  “You can never have too many spare lions running about.”

 

Trowa huffed a laugh as Heero sniffed disdainfully.  Wufei just shook his head and turned back to the darkness ahead of them.

 

*

 

The tunnel leading into the cave was just as deserted and dark as Wufei’s admittedly-hazy memories.  They weren’t approached again, and the way was lit by torches every few feet, as though they’d traveled back in time to some pre-electrical age, which Wufei felt was likely all for show.  Given what he knew about Duo and Quatre, he wouldn’t be surprised by the pretense, even if their enemy _was_ Seelie.  

 

Fae seemed to like to put on a production.

 

Quatre made a small sound of amusement behind him.

 

Apparently whatever Duo had done to hide their bond hadn’t done much to diminish the clairvoyant vampire’s ability to channel Wufei’s emotions.  

 

Being in mortal danger clearly hadn’t affected the blond’s sense of humor, either.

 

The anteroom was exactly as he remembered it as well, open and spacious. The ceiling was so high it disappeared into darkness, clearly sectioned off into various ‘rooms’, with coordinating furniture for sitting, lounging, sleeping.  Meilan was, however, noticeably absent.  Across the room, in a high backed chair that reminded Wufei a bit of the one Duo held court in at his club, was a tall, red-haired man.

 

Epyon, Treize Kushrenada, The General, whatever he was referring to himself as today.

 

His legs were crossed and he was leaning indulgently on one hand, watching them, as they entered.

 

Wufei hated him intensely.  This was the man who was responsible for every bad thing in his life, for nearly every bad thing in all their lives, and he was regarding them with some sort of indulgent good humor, as though they were a new novelty sent for his entertainment.

 

“Welcome to my humble abode.” The man gestured, expansively, and though his voice wasn’t loud, it carried across the room’s natural acoustics to their ears.  “To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?”

 

They’d talked about this, at great length, when they’d planned their excursion, and Wufei took a half step forward, drawing Treize’s attention.  

 

“You have something that belongs to me.”

 

The fae looked vaguely amused.  “Do I now? And what might that be?”

 

“My packmate,” he growled.

 

The other man responded with a humming noise, reaching for a glass beside him.  He took a sip, still watching their group over the edge of the glass, before he responded.  “She’s otherwise… indisposed, at the moment, though she should be back momentarily. Why don’t we spend a little while getting to know one another in the meantime.  For instance, you could tell me who you are, how you came to be here, why you’re still alive.  That sort of thing.”

 

His words were passingly polite, and seemingly uninterested, but Wufei could feel the sway of magic behind them, the same sort of _push_ he’d felt from Duo, the first night they’d met.  The compulsion to answer, and answer truthfully.

 

It was easily ignored, though it wouldn’t do to let Treize know that.

 

The fae man’s gaze wasn’t really focused on Wufei, however, instead he seemed to be staring slightly behind him and to the left.

 

At Duo.

 

Also not unexpected.

 

Wufei shrugged his shoulders, drawing Treize’s attention again.  “Chang.  We walked.  No one killed us on the way.”

 

Trieze’s smile turned patronizing, though he still seemed amused.  “Well, you were looking very corpse-like the last time we met, _Chang_ , but this time you’ve brought some friends.”  His gaze flickered behind Wufei again.  “And one of them looks very familiar.”  

 

Trowa shuffled, slightly, though Wufei didn’t know if it was anxiety at being noticed, or deliberate to keep Treize’s attention off Duo.

 

“I always told Zechs that his little projects were going to cause us a great deal of trouble.” He sighed, expressively.  “But the man is stubborn.”  He shifted in his chair to get a better look at their group, and the light shifted in response, throwing the cave into brighter illumination.  “So two shifters, a vampire, a _human_ ,” Treize sneered the last word distastefully, “and, hmm.  Something slightly more interesting.”  He was focused, now, on Duo, who still looked young and unassuming, half hidden behind Wufei and Quatre.  

 

The light changed again, putting Duo in full relief, and he quirked a grin, purple eyes shining, his smile sharp-edged and full of dark promise.

 

“And who might you be?” Treize asked, that same weight of compulsion behind the words.

 

But a different voice answered.  

 

Unnoticed by them all, Zechs had returned, coming in through another, as-yet-hidden entrance, dragging an uncooperative Meilan behind him.

 

Meilan, who was barely more than skin and bones and tangled, dirty hair, though her gaze was still full of obstinate fire.  She stopped dead to stare at Wufei in shock, and he could see, under the rags of her clothing, wounds in various stages of healing.  Including a long, deep gash  down the side of her face, just missing her eye, and pulling the side of her mouth up into an almost-smirk that was ill-suited to the mutinous jut of her chin.

 

He growled, long and low, unable to help himself, instantly encased in incandescent rage.  Quatre’s fingers brushed, ever-so-slightly, against his back, out of sight.  Wufei swallowed hard, strangling down the fury pushing at the edges of his control.

 

“ _Shinigami_ ,” Zechs breathed, shocked, releasing Meilan unexpectedly. She tumbled to the floor without his dubious support.

 

His words seemed to break the glamour Duo had cast, or else Duo himself released it, and drew himself up to his full, confident height, once again the dark fae Wufei was accustomed to seeing.  He took a few steps forward, until he was a hair’s breadth in front of Wufei, and made a mocking bow, complete with sarcastic flourish.

 

“In the flesh,” he answered, staring up at Treize from beneath his brows.  

 

Now there were shadows to compete with the light, ebbing and flowing in the dark parts of the cave, at Duo’s feet, behind them.  The darkness responded to Duo in the same way that the light responded to Treize, and Wufei was afraid, suddenly, of the coming fight.

 

Worried that Duo had met his match here, in the mountains of China, fighting for a girl he’d never met.

 

Quatre’s hand brushed against his shoulder again, and Wufei leaned into the contact.

 

It was a bit too late to be turning back now.

 

“And what brings the infamous God of Death to my doorstep? Have you finally become bored of hunting down stray vampires and rogue werelions?  You made quite the splash a few centuries ago, when you laid waste to the Noble Houses.” Treize asked, leaning back in his seat.  He’d lost the amused petulance, and now looked more calculating.

 

More concerned.

 

 _Good_ , Wufei thought, viciously.   _He should be._

 

“Or has Relena finally seen fit to be rid of me, rather than settling for my rather mundane banishment after all?”

 

Relena, daughter of Finvarra, was now the _Bhanrigh Soilleir_ , the Seelie Queen, and, Duo had explained, for all intents and purposes the High Queen of the Fae, because there was no Dark Court to rule, much less a ruler.  

 

“Oh no,” Duo answered, easily, as he straightened. His face took on more of the unnatural glow Wufei had seen only a few times, and his voice carried the hint of power that sent shivers up his spine.  “ _Rìgh Dorcha_ has instructed that I see to it you are held accountable for your crimes against the Dark Court.  First, however, He wishes to know _why_.”

 

“Why?” Treize asked, in disbelief, rising from his chair and strolling across the room, nearer to their group.   Zechs moved to meet him halfway and they traversed the remaining distance together, Zechs a half-step behind.

 

An unusual place for a Prince.

 

Meilan was quickly and quietly making her way across the room, taking advantage of the distraction to move nearer to Wufei and his motley crew.  Trowa and Heero moved, surreptitiously, to place themselves between her and Zechs, and Wufei was grateful, even as he turned his attention back to the coming confrontation.

 

“Why not?” Treize asked, stopping just outside the reach of traditional weapons.  “The fae were - _are_ \- growing weaker every day, diluting their blood with vampires and shifters and _humans_.  Finvarra-” and the name still carried an echo of power, even here- “bumbling, weak-hearted fool that he was, never saw it as the plague on our kind that it is, never punished the offenders.  And the Dark Court welcomed the half-bloods with open arms, the better to fill their ranks.”

 

Treize, now, was losing the congenial, old-world gentility he had projected, becoming something more otherwordly himself, bathed in flame and light, with fire in his eyes.

 

Fire Wufei thought he recognized.

 

The fire that had destroyed Duo’s home, had destroyed _his_ home, that had blinded his warriors and left scars on his spirit.

 

That nearly killed him, last time.

 

His heart pounded in his chest, and his fingers twitched to have his sword in his hands.  

 

Still, Wufei waited.  And watched.

 

The fight with Treize, Wufei knew, was Duo’s.  He had been the first wronged, and anyway, Wufei could never best the other man.  Zechs on the other hand...  

 

The tall blond man was watching the proceedings with a wary eye, but he made no move to leave.  

 

Duo couldn’t fight off both fae at once, and besides, Wufei and Trowa owed Zechs at least as much as they owed Treize, all things considered.  Between the two of them, and Quatre, it would be a fairly even match, he thought.

 

And Heero had mentioned, quietly on the trek in, that there were plenty of restless dead around, to Duo’s grim delight.

 

“I did it to save _our_ people - all the fae, Seelie and Unseelie.  To unite the courts and make us strong again. Of course, I had intended that Milliardo should take the Seelie throne, but not every plan comes to fruition immediately.”  

 

There was a pregnant pause as he looked over their ragtag group, at Duo who was oozing power, but not as much as he might have done, at the rest of them who, after three days of travel, certainly weren’t looking their most impressive, and seemed to regain some of his footing.

 

“Who claims the title _Rìgh Dorcha_?” Treize demanded, finally.  “There have been no Dark Court rulers since the purge, when the last King fell.  Only a Court Royal has the right to order my punishment.”

 

Duo grinned, and his magic crackled, seeping out into the dark spaces, creeping like the tendrils of climbing ivy until it permeated the spaces between Treize’s light, and began strangling it.

 

“Me,” Duo answered, and all hell broke loose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All the wonderful thanks to ChronicWhimsy for the always-excellent beta read. She had more work than usual this time, I'm afraid.
> 
> Some translations:  
> Bhanrigh Soilleir - Bright Queen, title the Seelie Faerie Queen (Same as the Faerie King, but obviously a queen)  
> Rìgh Dorcha - Dark King, title of the Unseelie Faerie King


	12. Flicker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a showdown!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A quick thanks to everyone who has been following along with this project and has left kudos, comments, or encouragement. 
> 
> This chapter was a bit of a bitch to write, to be honest, and it was the idea that people really do want the end of this story that keeps me writing it.
> 
> Translations at the end of the chapter for any unfamiliar terms or names.

_“This is the start of how it all ends,_

_They used to shout my name, now they whisper it.”_

-Lorde, Flicker

* * *

 

The fight was an unearthly mixture of light and shadows - disorienting and unpredictable, like being in the choking press of a poorly lit dance floor, except this dance could cost him his life.  Wufei stopped trying to see anything, relying instead on the innate sense he had of Quatre and, to a lesser extent, Trowa.  The bond offered them a lot, in that regard, and Trowa was _his_ , part of _his_ pack, and Wufei would sooner cut off his hand than harm him.  

 

Heero, luckily, pressed Meilan back further into the entrance of the cave, and Wufei felt, vaguely, the cool waves of power coming off the necromancer.  He had just enough time to realize that Heero was calling his own special brand of help to the battle, and then he was swept up in the rush of the fight.

 

He could see, vaguely, Zechs moving towards them, in the flashes of light that were like the after images of flash photography, and with every flash the man was closer to them, Quatre moving to whip around him, and Trowa edging out of the way, more as a backup between them and Heero.

 

Wufei grinned, all the bloodthirsty rage from the time his clan spent enduring servitude and slavery and punishment rising to the surface to meet him.  Zechs was fast, but Wufei had been training for this battle for _years_.  He reached for his sword and stepped forward to meet his adversary.

 

They had a brief, violent tussle, Wufei stepping back with a bloody gash on his face, Zechs with a matching wound on his arm, both of them healing in the brief seconds they were separated, before Quatre was flinging himself at Zechs from the side.  Wufei saw the moment the blond fae realized he was going to have to protect himself from all sides.

 

After that it was a blur of fists and fangs, swords and daggers, all of them quickly growing weary, as evenly matched as Wufei had expected, even with the added help of Trowa, even with the shuffling appearance of a small army of restless dead - what Duo had called sluagh, the unforgiven dead, when they’d discussed their plans - obviously summoned by Heero, and just as obviously giving Duo an added edge. These weren’t the perfectly preserved bodies that Heero had showcased when he raised Master Long, but the semi-corporeal remains of those who had died in violence and evil, unwelcome in the spirit world, and searching for the their ilk.  They were formless, shapeless, but still powerful.  

 

All the dead and dying only made Duo stronger, the wounds and the slow drip of blood feeding into the core of his power.

 

Wufei felt himself growing weaker, could see that Quatre was slowing down as well, and it surprised him, in the small corner of his mind that was still able to catalogue any thoughts other than survival and victory, counter and parry.

 

Time was an impossible, mutable thing, and they could have been fighting for minutes or hours, but still it seemed too soon for him to be tiring so easily.  And, he could see at a glance, Quatre was looking pale and wan, had slowed down perceptibly.

 

Zechs, too, appeared to be struggling.  Meeting Wufei’s eyes, the other man stared back at him with a narrowed gaze, and Wufei felt, distantly, the call to his animal, which went unheeded. This fae had no power over him, and he could see it rankled the blond, badly.

 

Wufei grinned again, reaching up to wipe blood off of his forehead with the back of his wrist, sword still at the ready in his other hand.

 

Around them, the flow and ebb of the magic continued unabated, swelled and grew, and, Wufei began to realize, push and pull, with Duo and Treize at the center of it, engaged in a battle of magic and wills rather than fists and weapons.

 

Duo _shoved_ particularly hard, causing Treize to stumble backwards a half step, and Wufei felt the pull under his own skin, in the center of his being where his tiger paced restlessly, waiting to be uncaged, and he suddenly understood.

 

Treize, millenia old and more experienced that Wufei could ever hope to be, more experienced than even Duo, was meeting the Unseelie fae’s power, meeting and matching it, and possibly overcoming it, and Duo, whether intentionally or not, was pulling more magic, more power, to bolster his work, and the _more_ was coming from him - from Wufei.  And from Quatre. He glanced up and met aquamarine eyes across the impromptu battlefield, saw that Quatre was beginning to understand the same thing, his own cheeks hollow and pale.

 

_Ai Coitcheann._

 

 _The General_.

 

A Seelie fae who had led armies into battle, was known for his tactical mind and fighting prowess, gifted with a name that indicated his greatness.

 

Duo was fighting him, and he was using Wufei and Quatre to help him do it.

 

One or both of them was going to die.  

 

It was, Wufei thought, a good and honorable death.

 

He didn’t want to die, but he’d come here expecting the possibility, knew that he had cheated death already once and that this second opportunity was chance and circumstance, that his enemy had made a mistake in returning him to Duo and Quatre, who had saved him, and perhaps…

 

Perhaps it was for this moment that he had been saved.  He could give everything over to this, allow Duo to take all that he needed, and perhaps win this battle, defeat the monster who had stolen his life.

 

Trowa would live.  Meilan would survive.  Duo would see that they would be taken care of.  His debt would be repaid.

 

Wufei could see no downside, other than his own demise, and what a small price to pay to avenge his family, his clan, his honor.  To save his lovers.

 

Quatre watched and saw and _understood_ and called his name across the room, but Wufei didn’t hear it, only saw the shape of his name on lips he was intimately familiar with.

 

It would be a good death, he thought.

 

Zechs, too, was crouched and breathing heavily.  Watching Wufei and Quatre warily but making no move to attack.  Conserving his energy, Wufei thought, eyes narrowed.

 

Treize was using Zechs in the same way that Duo was using him, using Quatre, as a well of strength and power in the battle he was fighting.  They had a _bond_ , much like the one Quatre and Duo shared, had invited Wufei to be a part of, and Wufei was providing the extra edge they needed to defeat both men and if only Wufei could rid the room of Zechs, then maybe…

 

There was another shift in the pull of magic as Treize wrenched more power from Zechs for the battle he was fighting with Duo, the tall blond fas stumbling to one knee.  Duo responded in kind, leaving Wufei breathless and Quatre reeling.

 

Wufei closed his eyes, gave himself over to the pull of the magic, allowed everything he was to slip away on the current of it.  He could _feel_ the turning of the tides, of his magic mingling with Duo’s and edging over Treize.  He could feel his beast curling quietly below the skin, allowing himself to be diminished.

 

His sword slipped from nerveless fingers, but he didn’t hear it hit the ground.

 

Blinking his eyes open in confusion, he watched as Trowa, moving faster than any of the men engaged in battle were now capable of, snatched it out of mid-air and leaped, a snarl on his scarred face-

 

The blade flashed in the play of darkness and light, shining brightly one moment, and dark as sin the next, and then Zechs Merquise’s head was rolling across the floor, coming to a stop a few feet from Meilan, who sneered at in disgust.

 

She barely, Wufei thought with exhausted amusement, refrained from kicking it away from her.

 

That was the last coherent thought he had for several long moments, as the tornado of magic in the room came to a stop with breathtaking intensity, frozen in swirls of light and dark.  Duo’s hair was billowing behind him, like a thing alive, crackling with power, and he appeared, now, as he had in the parlor of the inn, otherworldly and inhuman, darkly beautiful and powerful and like everything Wufei loved in the world.  A few feet away, Quatre moved, taking a few steps closer to their battle.

 

Perhaps, then, not quite _everything_ Wufei loved in the world.  

 

The shining, beautiful, fierce warrior who had joined him in battle counted too, he thought.

 

Treize stumbled, the death of Zechs hitting him like a physical blow, even as the other man’s body dissolved into nothing, carried away in a snap of energy that was like lightning and the whisper of a name that had left Wufei shuddering in disgust - _Fionn_ \- before he was no more.  Treize was bathed in light and fire, even his hair the color of flames, rather than the mundane red it had been when they arrived, and he held his hand out towards Duo in a ‘stop’ motion that the violet-eyed man ignored with the fierce joy of victory on his face.  

 

Treize’s hand was white-hot, like the inecromancy that had destroyed Duo’s home, had blinded Wufei’s fellow warriors, had nearly killed _him_ when last he was here, and Duo’s hand rose to mirror it, surrounded in darkness so endless Wufei couldn’t make out his fingers and Duo reached out, magically, to the other man and _pulled_.

 

Just like with the werelion in Budapest, there was a brief moment that felt like eternity, like a battle of wills that would never end, and, once again, Wufei gave himself over to it, what little bit he had left, allowing Duo to overcome Treize’s resistance, reaching out with his power and ripping the life from the other man in one, violent _twist_.

 

The resultant rush of magic was so intense that it did what all of the preceding fight had not - it forced Wufei to his knees.  Duo pulled the magic - the _lifeforce_ \- of the other fae from his body, absorbed it, let it fill him up like an empty cup, and when he was so full it overflowed, allowed it to follow the link of their bond to fill Quatre and Wufei, until his tiger was restless and pacing and roaring against his skin, his eyes yellow and faint stripes appearing along his bare arms, until Quatre was flushed and bright and full of life as though he’d fed well and happily for weeks.  Yet still the magic spilled over, until Wufei was pushing it out beyond himself to Trowa and Meilan, and further, to the blonde werelion he could remember submitting to him in the field, to the other three who had been with her, and knew they were _his_.

 

All these small connections, like threads in a web, lighting up as the power Duo had absorbed, had stolen from Treize, was pushed out into their group and suffusing them, strengthening their bonds, Trowa to Heero, Duo to Hilde, despite the distance.  

 

When the moment passed, Wufei found himself on his hands and knees, panting, eyes still golden with the magic sworking beneath his skin.  Around him, the others were doing the same, Trowa sitting, slumped on the floor, panting, his golden eyes sparkling, and Wufei could see that his lion was just barely caged below the surface.  Wufei smirked at him, gave him a nod of approval.

 

Trowa rolled his eyes.

 

Heero moved to lean against him, his army of restless spirits banished back to wherever he had called them from, though Wufei could still vaguely sense the aura of death and power that hung around him.  The result of his own share of magic, he thought.

 

Quatre had already climbed to his feet, brushing dust fastidiously off of his clothes, his minor injuries already healed and a gash on his arm quickly closing up, the skin knitting back together even as Wufei watched.  He began making his way towards Duo, who was standing where he had started his battle, staring at the dusty remains of Treize slowly flickering away, sparks like embers from a fire disappearing into nothingness.  As the last of the glowing remains burned away there was another name - _Amandan_.

 

Meilan, too, was flush with power, panting as she sat on the floor with her arms around her knees.  She looked better now than she had when they arrived, her wounds healing in record time, energy levels restored, though she was still dirty and unkempt.  She was staring in shock at the place where Zechs had met his match.

 

Standing up, Wufei strode over and picked up his sword, pausing to give the blade a cursory inspection.  Not even a drop of blood on it, whisked away on the breeze with the rest of Zechs’ being.  Something glinted on the floor where Zechs had fallen, and Wufei picked it up as well. It was a kind of pendant, worked in silver filigree, with a large opal in the center and a branch of white flowers along the edge.  He pocketed the necklace almost without thought.

 

Quirking an eyebrow, Quatre motioned to Wufei, and he sheathed his sword to follow the blond, accepting the hand that was offered to him, the embrace he was drawn into when both of them reached the fae.  Magic crackled along his skin at their every touch, and for a moment they just existed, breathing deeply and appreciating that they were alive.  The hum of emotion surrounded them, relief and grief and a million other feelings he couldn’t put words to, along with something he was beginning to realize was love, plain and simple.

 

Wufei swallowed against the lump in his throat, opened his mouth to speak and say something, _anything_ , though he knew they didn’t needs words between them-

 

“Chang Wufei!”

 

He jumped, startled, and turned his head to meet Meilan’s eyes.  Still full of fire and obstinance, challenging him as she always had.  She stood as tall as someone who barely topped five feet could, regal in her bearing, despite the hair and clothes, her mouth pursed as she looked between the three of them.

 

“What did you _do_?” she demanded.

 

Trowa began laughing, his head pillowed on Heero’s shoulder as he shook with mirth.

 

Wufei sighed.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:
> 
> sluagh - unforgiven dead, welcome in neither heaven nor hell and rejected by the earth itself. Soul thieves who fly in groups, troublesome and destructive. 
> 
> Ai Coitcheann - The General
> 
> Fionn - Tuatha dé Danann poet and an outlaw, known for his army of followers and his ability to change into an animal or any type of human at will. 
> 
> Amandan - 'The Fool' (ironically named) often seen as wiser than their master, can kill with a touch 
> 
>  
> 
> Special thanks, a million times over, to ChronicWhimsy for the always-excellent beta read, and to Maevemauvaise and ClaraxBarton for talking me through some of the trickier bits here, and Clara in particular for helping with the jewelry. I'm sure I'm forgetting some things in this thank you note, but I am blessed to be surrounded and supported by great writers, artists, and FRIENDS who always support my work and my ideas, and you are all a thousand times more than I deserve.


	13. Everybody Wants to Rule the World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Turns out there are some... slight consequences to killing a couple of highly-placed Seelie fae. 
> 
> Oops.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter got a little bit away from me with some unexpected plot things, and you may have noticed, added one more chapter to the total count, which will round us off at 15 chapters total! 
> 
> I've really been enjoying writing this and all of your wonderful responses, so from the bottom of my heart, thank you all for reading, supporting, commenting and kudos'ing this fic. It is immeasurably amazing the positive response this has received.
> 
> On that note, be sure to read the end notes for a small announcement!

_“Welcome to your life,_

_Th_ _ere’s no turning back.”_

\- Lorde, Everybody Wants to Rule the World

* * *

 

 

They were forced to stay in the cave.

 

Well, not forced exactly, but it was close enough to dawn that traveling was dangerous without good cause, and the cave was an unpalatable but not unsafe option.  No one was particularly happy about the arrangement, but Meilan was nearly incandescent with rage.

 

Not that Wufei could blame her, considering she’d been held captive there.  Add in the fact that he’d given her no details on his arrangement with Duo and Quatre, or Trowa for that matter, and she’d become her usual obstinate, uncooperative self, had gone so far as to demand - in Mandarin, as though that made their conversation any more private - that they leave _immediately_.

 

Wufei had refused.

 

“You aren’t the only one here that I have obligations to!” he roared, finally, when her prodding and demands and insolence eventually pushed his admittedly-short temper over the edge.

 

Meilan looked as though she’d been slapped, and Duo chose that moment to chime in.

 

Whether he spoke Mandarin (possible) or simply just followed the gist of the argument (more likely), the long-haired fae looked up from the collection of weapons he was examining to offer his own opinion.

 

“Your debt to us has been satisfied in full,” he offered, almost idly, and with those few words ripped the wind completely from Wufei’s sails.  

 

Wufei froze, surprised and uncertain, with his breath caught in his throat, and turned to look at the other man, his confusion likely showing on his face.  Even Quatre was looking at Duo in surprise, eyebrows raised.

 

“I-” Wufei started, then shut his jaw shut with a snap, looking between the two of them, then glancing sideways at Trowa.  

 

Duo followed his gaze, pressing his lips together in thought.  

 

“Trowa has more than satisfied his obligation as well.”

 

Wufei felt the tingle of magic that accompanied both statements, a sort of loosening around his chest that left him feeling strangely bereft.  His bond with the fae and the vampire was still there, pulsing below his skin, and he could feel a strange sort of… resolution, from Duo. And Trowa was there, as well, a different part of him.  But still, there was something missing.

 

He growled in irritation.

 

If Duo thought he was _helping_ , well, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

 

“Good,” Meilan interjected, cross and huffy, “then we can leave.”

 

And just _where_ , he wondered irritably, did she think they were going to go?  Plus, that didn’t solve the problem of Trowa, at all, who wouldn’t, Wufei knew, be keen to leave Heero, who was still sworn to Duo’s service.  But Trowa would feel, perhaps, obligated to go with him to wherever it was Meilan thought they should be heading to, and frankly, this was all a tangled, unsolvable mess.  One that didn’t have to be sorted out right at that moment.

 

He rounded on Meilan to tell her exactly his thoughts, when Duo interjected _again_ , and Wufei was sick of all of them at this point.

 

“Chang Wufei makes his own decisions, as he always has.”

 

Wufei met his violet gaze with a mixture of relief and trepidation as he began to understand.

 

Duo wasn’t sending him away, he was offering him a choice.  To accept their bond, or leave. He’d freed Wufei of any obligation to stay, and left him with options instead - to leave and make his own way with Meilan, and possibly Trowa, or stay and… what?

 

He shook his head at both of them.

 

“Decisions which can be made when we return to Galway, after a shower and hot meal and _discussion_.”

 

Duo gave him a small, pleased smile, and Quatre practically beamed.

 

Trowa sagged against Heero in obvious relief.

 

Wufei sighed as Meilan stomped off in a huff, to curl up in a corner near where Trowa and Wufei were leaning against the natural stone wall, on a rug and pillows they’d dragged over to make a more comfortable space.  

 

They’d all resolutely ignored the beds on the other side of the cave in unspoken agreement.

 

Trowa motioned towards Meilan as she cut her eyes at the two of them, frowning.  

 

“You can sit over here, if you want,” the tall werelion offered in his gravelly voice.

 

Meilan shrugged, but she shifted closer, until she could rest on the edges of some of the pillows.  Wufei could hear the laugh Trowa smothered, and he turned to make his way back over to Duo and Quatre, to look at what they’d discovered.

 

It was a whole assortment of iron and silver-forged weapons similar to the ones they’d been seeing since Budapest.

 

Wufei swore in blistering Mandarin.

 

More evidence of Zechs’ and Treize’s treachery.

 

Quatre snorted a laugh, reaching out to thread his fingers through Wufei’s, and Wufei leaned into the contact.  Duo reached out and brushed the stray hairs from his face, tucking them behind his ears, and Wufei released a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding, along with tension he hadn’t been aware of.

 

They still wanted him.

 

He’d not been sure, after Duo’s words.

 

Meilan pointedly cleared her throat and Duo rolled his eyes.  Wufei nearly laughed at his put-out expression, and stuffed his free hand in his pocket before he reached out and dragged Duo closer to show Meilan something she could _really_ be in a huff about.

 

And encountered the strange necklace he’d found where Zechs had fallen.  He pulled it out to show the others.

 

“Where did you find that?” Duo asked, and his voice sounded strange as he watched it twist and flash in the light of the torches.

 

“On the ground where Zechs fell,” Wufei answered.  “What is it?”

 

Duo reached out gingerly, but didn’t touch the pendant, letting his hand drop back to his side.  “A… shortcut, of sorts,” he said, cryptically. Wufei lifted the pendant higher to look more closely at it.

 

They were interrupted by a commotion at the entrance to the cave, and in a flash Trowa was on his feet between Heero and Meilan and the entrance, low growl spilling from his lips in warning.  Wufei moved to stand behind and to his left, sword unsheathed in his hand. Duo and Quatre didn’t move, but Wufei could feel the subtle shift in the atmosphere and shadows that told him Duo was very much ready for any unexpected guests.

 

It only took a few seconds for their visitors to make themselves known - shifters, Wufei realized as they came closer, probably more of Zechs’ experimentations.  He felt his lip curl in disgust, even as he shifted his stance to put the sword away. Still defensive, but less intimidating. Trowa had indicated, back at the inn, what felt likes years ago though it had been only a few days, that the lions here might be interested in joining them, or at least in walking away.  There was no reason to start a fight.

 

He had no doubt he could finish it, anyway.

 

There were five of them, dirty and half-starved, and Wufei felt a growl rumbling in his own chest at the state they were in, but swallowed it down.

 

These pack feelings were getting to be problematic.

 

The oldest looked to be a man in his late twenties, the youngest a girl who couldn’t have been more than twenty at the absolute oldest, and Wufei was disgusted all over again at the dead fae who was responsible for these people.  All of them had been turned, most likely against their will, and then left to flounder with no instruction or care or concern for their wellbeing-

 

“Why are you here?” Trowa rumbled, and Wufei stood silently, content to let the taller man speak for both of them.  He was the more experienced in typical pack interaction anyway.

 

“We heard-” the man stammered, swallowing, “we thought-”  He looked around the room, taking in the occupants and, more likely, the lack of certain occupants.  “Where are the other two who were here before?”

 

“Dead.” Wufei answered, the first he’d spoken.

 

The young girl in their group shuddered, either in relief or more fear, Wufei wasn’t sure.

 

“What did they want from you, the ones who were here before?” Duo called, still standing near the weapons he’d found.

 

The man jerked in surprise, before answering hesitantly.  “They, they sent us out, sometimes, to find more people for the pack, and, and other things.  Errand running, sometimes.”

 

“I see,” Duo answered slowly.  “And did they… arm you in any way when they sent you out?”

 

The man’s eyes darted around, looking at the people surround him, all of them hale and hearty, and clearly powerful, and moved to stand in front of the girl and the other woman in their group before he answered.  “Yes, they gave us daggers, sometimes. They said we might be hunted.”

 

“I see.  Who would be hunting you?”

 

“They didn’t give us a name, just said that another fae, or maybe a vampire, might try to kill us for being what we are.”

 

Duo snorted.  “I’ve never killed anyone for being what they are, only for doing what they shouldn’t.”  He glanced up to meet the man’s eyes, a warning in his tone. “Turning people without their permission, for example.  Murdering families. Trying to kill me with fancy knives. That sort of thing.”

 

The shifter swallowed hard, and nodded.

 

“You and your… packmates are free to go.” He turned back to the weapons assortment, packing them away quickly and efficiently.

 

The rest of the group of shifters took tentative steps towards the door, but the younger girl wrapped her hand around their spokesperson’s wrist, and he sighed before firming his jaw and speaking again.  “Sally said… Sally told us we might be welcome in Galway.”

 

Wufei sighed.  Apparently he was running a shifter rehabilitation program.

 

Behind him, Quatre huffed a laugh.  

 

Damn clairvoyant bastard.

 

After the first group left, more shifters trickled in, usually in groups of two or three, and Trowa made quick work of assessing them, sending most onwards to Galway.  The only ones he turned away were obviously feral, flashing golden eyes and teeth too large for their jaw, and clearly slathering for violence.

 

Those, Wufei thought, would likely pose a problem they’d have to deal with later.  But, for the time being, Trowa simply sent them out of the cave and warned them away from humans and their group.

 

Their final visitor, however, was a bit different.  A tall, slender woman with buns fastened to the side of her head, cleaner and more well-kept than any of the previous shifters, strode into the cave with absolutely no fear, eyes flashing with defiance. Wufei could hear Meilan’s low, continuous growl before she was even fully through the entrance, and his hackles rose in response.  

 

“Where is Master Treize?” she demanded immediately, watching all of them with haughty authority.

 

Where Wufei would have answered, Duo suddenly appeared in front of him, moving like smoke through walls, drifting into space he hadn’t been in before.  

 

Wufei almost took a step back in surprise.

 

Shinigami was back, in the crackle of magic in the air, in the chiding tone Duo took when he answered the woman.  

 

“Death came for him,” Duo purred, circling around her, and Wufei had to admire the fact that the woman didn’t flinch.  “Death comes for everyone, eventually. As you, of all people should know, _baintsí_.”

 

She paled, at the title, but she didn’t back down.  “It will come for you too, whoever you are.”

 

The words sounded like a portend to Wufei, spoken in a haunting, almost musical tone, and he felt the hair stand up on the back of his arms, but Duo laughed.

 

“You have no power over me, _baintsí,_ I am Death.  You belong to _me_.”  His magic crept up around all of them, heavy and cool, slipping into the spaces between, until Wufei could almost taste it.  “You should go. While you’re able.”

 

She didn’t flee, exactly, but she left with haste, and none of the arrogance she’d arrived with.

 

And when she was gone, Duo was just Duo.  Smiling and gorgeous and still slightly dirty from their fight.  

 

“Alright ‘Fei, let’s see your bauble.”

 

*

The necklace glowed with a faint light of its own, Wufei thought, watching as it spun lazily on its chain, dangling between his fingers.

 

“You said it was a shortcut?” Wufei asked, with a frown, looking over at Duo who was watching it with his fingers steepled over his mouth.

 

The other man hummed in a vaguely positive way.  

 

“It’s a lot of things.  Mostly a complication.”

 

Wufei eyed the necklace dubiously.  It was a necklace, surely-

 

“It’s Seelie made,” Duo continued, “as a means of communication and, possibly, entrance, to the Seelie Court, if I’m not mistaken. A _periapt_ , an amulet.  That Zechs had it means he was in contact with someone in the Court, a place he’d been banished from in disgrace.”  He sighed. “I had counted on his banishment to mean I wouldn’t be called upon to explain his death. This may mean differently.”

 

That sounded ominous.

 

Duo reached out and relieved Wufei of the necklace, careful to touch only the chain, and gestured at the others, all of whom - except Meilan - had gathered around him to hear his explanation.  “You should all probably move a little further back,” he cautioned.

 

Wufei and Quatre didn’t move, and Duo rolled his eyes.

 

“It’s not dangerous, I just don’t want you to be seen.”

 

When Wufei turned to Quatre uncertainly, the blonde just shrugged, but they moved with Heero and Trowa to the pile of rugs and pillows they’d arranged in the floor.  Out of reach but close enough to see, to intervene - hopefully - if necessary.

 

Duo held the necklace out, staring at it for a moment, and then something in him seemed to relax, and he was both more and less himself.  Less human, more fae. Not quite the God of Death, but not really a man, anymore, either. He reached out and ran his fingers across the surface of the glittering opal and then-

 

Nothing.

 

For a long moment there was no sound, no movement Wufei could sense, except the quiet rasp of his own breath.

 

Followed by a ripple of magic that sent a shiver down his spine and where the amulet had hung, a woman stood, facing Duo.  She was small and slim and beautiful, with honey blonde hair and blue eyes. She had a face that looked kind, as long as you weren’t paying much attention to her eyes, which spoke of a practical ruthlessness that Wufei might have recognized in himself.

 

“Well,” she said, after a pause, and her voice sounded as though it were muffled, or underwater, though it was pleasing to hear.  “This is unexpected. How did Shinigami happen upon a _periapt_ from my Court?”

 

Duo grinned, sweeping into a bow that was both elaborate and short, and somehow cheeky in a way Wufei couldn’t quite put his finger on.  “My Lady Relena. A delightful surprise. An acquaintance of mine found the _periapt_ on the ground.  How curious that it should contact you directly.”

 

All of which was, strictly speaking, true.

 

His time with Duo had given Wufei a new appreciation for the twisty ways that truth could be told.

 

She pursed her lips, clearly unsatisfied with his response.  “And what of the owner?”

 

More magic crept around Duo, making him more and more the deadly fae he his beneath his brash exterior.  “Sadly met his fate, my Lady. Along with his companion.”

 

The fae woman that the amulet had summoned drew herself up to her full height, regal bearing in every inch of her spine and shoulders, and Wufei could tell she was calling on her own magic, though he couldn’t feel hers.  At once she was less a young woman and more an unearthly being, beautiful and terrible, alarming in a way she hadn’t seemed before. Wufei understood with a pit of dread in his stomach, that this woman was Duo’s equal, and they had killed her brother - however deserving that might have been - and now they must answer for it.

 

“You _dare_ to do what even my father would not, and on whose authority does _Shinigami_ act?”  She made a mockery of Duo’s name, belittled him in a way that no one else who encountered him would have done.  And yet she felt secure enough, felt powerful enough, to risk his ire.

 

Wufei swallowed hard.

 

Duo responded by revealing yet more of himself, the dark grin, the darker magic.  “I act on my own authority, as I have always done, as you well know, but I also act on the authority of _Rìgh Dorcha_ , a title which is rightfully _mine_ and which I claimed hours ago, before I avenged the carnage of the Unseelie Court and the murder of my family!”

 

There was another moment of stillness, a moment in which Relena seemed to take stock of Duo’s appearance and his words, and consider them.  The fierce beauty of her magic seemed to recede a bit as she considered him before she spoke again.

 

“Very well, _Rìgh Dorcha_ , I will investigate the veracity of your claims.  Come find me in three days’ time in _Ildathach_.  The amulet will grant you passage.”  Relena paused, and her face hardened.  “Refusal will be seen as a declaration of war between our people, Shinigami.  I will have my questions answered.” She glanced to the side, in the direction Wufei and the others were sitting, captivated, and he shivered even though he didn’t think she could see him.  “And bring this ‘acquaintance’ who found my brother’s _periapt_.  I am not so foolish as to think you defeated him and his companion without help.”

 

In the next breath she was gone, the amulet dangling from Duo’s fingers again, as though the encounter had never happened.  Duo wrapped it up in a length of fabric that he produced from nowhere, though likely he had found it amongst the heaps of other things in the cave, and tucked it away in a pocket.  

 

“Well, fuck.” Quatre said, quite succinctly.  

 

“For once,” Heero added dryly, “I agree with Quatre.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK so everyone who guessed the blonde in the last chapter was Sally - you get a cookie!
> 
> Why yes that IS Une, and yes she IS making a slight cameo here. Baintsí is another word for banshee - or a harbinger of death.
> 
> periapt - a very old word for pendant or amulet. fell out of fashion in the 1600s but I really liked it for this fic.
> 
> Rìgh Dorcha - Dark King
> 
> Ildathach - "Multicolored land", another word for the Fae Realm, but here refers to a specific location within
> 
> A couple people have asked and I guess I wasn’t clear, but in chapter 11 Duo explains that Relena and Zechs are siblings -  
> ‘Duo paused, lips twisting bitterly. ‘Finvarra had two children. Relena. And Milliardo’ He glanced up at Wufei, jaw tense and hard. ‘You might recognize Milliardo if you saw him - as Zechs Merquise.’”
> 
> \--------ANNOUNCEMENT----------
> 
> So I am creeping up on my one year anniversary from when I started posting (though not writing, by a long shot) my work for the fandom to - hopefully - enjoy, and it has been a hell of a ride. I started with Wicked Bloom, and I have written 44 works for this fandom in the short not-quite-a-year I've been posting. Additionally, Redacted (my first long multi-part fic) has surpassed 1000 hits, and Eden is quickly catching up! I have been absolutely blown away by the support and friendships I have formed in our tiny fandom.
> 
> ~~To give back, I want to have a little... contest of sorts.~~
> 
> ~~Everyone who comments on THIS chapter, kudos (you can just leave a comment that says kudos if you've already left one), or reblogs it on Tumblr will go into a random prize generator to win your very own fic written by me. I'm up for pretty much any pairing and scenario, with a few caveats regarding my own triggers, but the winner can send me three prompts/pairings/requests and I will do my very best to fulfill it to your heart's desire!~~
> 
> ~~If you aren't interested, you can still comment, just let me know you don't want to be in the drawing ;)~~
> 
> ~~Finally - I will accept multiple comments/kudos/reblogs, but please don't spam the shit out of your followers, or get ridiculous with the comments (i.e. one word per comment box, or something equally spammy and unfair.)~~
> 
> ~~The raffle will remain open for one week to give everyone plenty of time to participate!~~
> 
> The contest is over and the winner is
> 
> *drumroll*
> 
> Tumbledrylemur!
> 
> I've really loved being part of this fandom and thanks to all of you for making me feel welcome <3


	14. Afterlife

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back to where we started, and everything has changed. Or nothing has. It's hard to tell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The results of the last chapter's little raffle are in and the winner is - Tumbledrylemur!

_"I'm waiting for the afterlife,_

_Show me a good time baby, somebody save me,_

_I just wanna be loved."_

_\- XYLO, Afterlife_

* * *

 

“How are we supposed to get  _ anywhere _ in three days?” Wufei groused, before gesturing vaguely at the cave around them.  “It took three days just to get  _ here _ .”  He leaned his head back against the cave wall, feeling exhausted despite all the extra power Duo had channeled his way.  

It was now a few hours past dawn, and though Quatre had been able to successfully stay up later and later since Wufei had joined their bond, even he was starting to sag.  They’d had no time to rest between the arguments with Meilan, who was still huffy, the other beings trailing into the cave, and now this.

Heero smirked, and Wufei rolled his eyes.

He was beyond tired of everyone else knowing what was going on. 

“There are many ways to enter the fae realm,” Duo began, and Wufei lifted his head to look at him.  “You can step into a faery circle, or wander in and, provided you don’t accept anything you’re offered, wander back out again unknowingly.  You could be taken, assuming someone has a valid claim.” He eyed Wufei meaningfully. “Or you could be invited.”

Quatre stood up to move beside Duo, fiddling with something on his hand.  Duo held his own hand out, patiently waiting, as Quatre twisted a ring off one of his fingers and dropped it into Duo’s palm.  The vampire always had a variety of jewelry he cycled through, something Wufei had never given much consideration, but he thought he recognized the gold filigree and black opal Quatre was handing Duo.

“A  _ priapt _ is a dangerous thing,” Duo continued.  “It allows entry to your realm, and not just _ Tír na nÓg _ , but the Court. Someone powerful enough could use it unwisely and gain entry where they aren’t welcome. The fae realm isn’t like this place.  Time and distance mean nothing, really. In three days’ time we won’t have to  _ go _ anywhere; Relena’s amulet will open and allow us entry to the place she’s designated.”  He looked down at the glittering ring in his palm. “But first, we’re going to Galway.”

Wufei blinked at him in complete bafflement.  

“Well we can’t visit the Seelie Queen looking like  _ this _ ,” Quatre explained, smirking.

Duo closed his fingers around the ring and Wufei felt the tingle of magic up his spine.  

“The Dark Court is wherever its ruler makes his home, and mine is in Galway.”  Around his feet a creeping moss grew outwards in a large circle, like a rich green carpet, followed by ever-widening darker rings, the moss dying in perfect circles at Duo’s feet, spreading until they encompassed an area large enough for their small group with a bit of room to spare.  “Let’s go home.”

*

Galway was several hours’ time behind where they’d been in China, and when they stepped out of the faery circle into the dark night, the air was cool and crisp. Quatre perked up immediately.  Wufei glanced around with some surprise, recognizing the worn stone of the building that housed Duo’s club.

They were in a tucked-away alleyway, behind the stonework and crowded close to the neighboring building.  It was so late that the club was already closed for the night, but Duo strode confidently to the locked back door, rapping on it smartly.  

Moments later it was opened, Hilde’s familiar face and quiet smile welcoming them back.  She took in the state of their clothes, the exhaustion in their eyes, and shook her head, before raising an eyebrow at Duo.  He shrugged down at her with a grin and gestured behind him.

“Brought you a friend,” he offered, and stepped aside so Hilde could catch a glimpse of Meilan, who looked utterly mutinous, the scar on her face doing nothing to dispel the aura of disgruntlement surrounding her.

She’d argued vehemently against going with Duo, until Wufei had finally shouted that the clan was  _ dead _ , why did she think he’d  _ come _ , and Trowa had once again intervened, calmly explaining that they’d be able to rest and recuperate at Duo’s home, and they could make more plans there.

He didn’t mention the painfully obvious - that she didn’t have anywhere  _ else _ to go.

She’d acquiesced, but begrudgingly, and she wasn’t currently speaking to Wufei.

Hilde took in her appearance, the tattered clothes and drooping hair, and gave Duo a look of intense disappointment and started signing rapidly.  Wufei made a mental note to sit down with Quatre and actually  _ learn _ whatever it was she was using for communication.  It was frustrating to be out of the loop. 

Duo took a half step back, arms raised in supplication, and Heero snorted.

“Wait until you hear all the  _ other _ stupid things he’s done while we’ve been gone.”

Trowa snickered.

Hilde’s shoulders slumped and she looked heavenwards, as though praying for patience.  She made a few more gestures, directing them at Heero this time. 

“Yes, he’s dead, no we aren’t hurt, no we haven’t showered, and yes we’re hungry.”

As if on cue, Wufei stomach growled and he blushed.

Hilde stepped aside to allow them into the back room of the club, the door staying ajar on its own.  They trooped inside, Duo last, and she gave him another sardonic look. He grinned, trying, no doubt, to appear charming, but she remained unimpressed.  He slouched inside behind the others with a rueful smile.

Wufei followed Heero and Trowa down the dark hallways, until they emerged into a small lounge area, dotted with couches and ottomans, with a large television on one wall.  It occurred to him, suddenly, to wonder if Hilde lived at the club, or Heero and Trowa for that matter, and he realized he didn’t really know anything about how things were run here in Galway, for all his closeness with Duo and Quatre.  It was jarring, all over again, the reminder of his ignorance.

Hilde trailed in behind them with a tablet in her hand, concentrating as she rapidly typed something out on the screen before setting it aside.  

Trowa and Heero retreated to a small sofa against the wall, pressed together from shoulders to knees, Heero tipping his head back against the headrest and closing his eyes.  Duo and Quatre took the larger sofa, looking up at Wufei expectantly. He glanced sideways at Meilan, who was contemplating the room silently, chewing on her lip, before she glided over to a chair in the corner and sat down, tucking her knees up to her chest as she leaned against the edge of the backrest.  Satisfied, Wufei slid onto the couch next to Duo, their legs brushing.

Reaching out to snag a ladderback chair from a nearby gaming table, Hilde swung it around, twisting until she was straddling it and leaned her chin on the backrest, looking all of them over critically.  After a moment, she began signing furiously again, brows drawn together in frustration.

Duo answered most of her questions, with the occasional interjection from Quatre or Heero, and Wufei gathered that she mostly just wanted the whole story.

Finally, the explanation drew to an end, Hilde’s questions tapered off, and Heero lifted his head off the couch to look around at everyone, his gaze narrowed.

“We’re going home.”  He announced, and moved to stand, pulling at Trowa.  “I have to be back here tomorrow for work and-”

Hilde shook her head in the negative, rolling her eyes, and signed out a response.

“Hilde’s right,” Duo said, decisively, “she can manage here for a few more days until we leave.  You should rest. It’s been a rough few weeks. We’ll see you the night before the meeting.”

She nodded in satisfaction, and Heero looked vaguely relieved as Trowa finally acquiesced to his wordless demand and stood. Hilde made another subtle gesture, tilting her head as she looked at Duo, and he jerked his chin at Trowa, the motion barely noticeable.  Her eyes widened in surprise and she turned to look at the tall shifter, who was cracking his neck and rolling his shoulders, the exhaustion on his face clear. 

Heero took a couple of steps forward and Trowa fell into step beside him, both of them headed for the door, Trowa giving a vague sort of half-wave to the room.  

Rising from her chair, Hilde met them halfway to the door, her chin tilted up so that she could look at Trowa’s face, meeting his eyes.  He faltered, missing a step, and rocked to a halt in front of her, his fingers still entwined with Heero’s, who was watching the two of them in confusion.  Hilde stared for a moment, her head cocked inquisitively, and then she reached out, wrapping her arms around a bewildered Trowa’s waist. He glanced over to Heero, who shrugged minutely but didn’t intervene.

 

Awkwardly, he let go of Heero’s hand to return Hilde’s embrace, even though he had to stoop down a little to rest his chin on the top of her head.  For a moment, it was just the most awkward hug that Wufei had ever witnessed - Trowa hunched over the tiny, dark-haired fae woman, looking quietly confused and vaguely alarmed - and then there was a change in the atmosphere of the room, something subtle that washed over Wufei’s skin like a breeze, magic that was simultaneously unfamiliar and comfortable.

 

And then Trowa relaxed, something in his posture giving way, and for a few, breathless minutes, he very nearly glowed with satisfaction so potent that all his exhaustion, all his stress, fell away.  He looked strong, and whole, and halesome, so purely content that even his scars seemed to fade, leaving smooth, unmarred skin.

 

When Hilde stepped away - slowly and with care - the effect faded, leaving Trowa as Wufei knew him, and the tall shifter gave a little sigh, part serenity and part regret.  Heero watched the entire exchange avidly, his eyes greedily soaking in the transformation, and when it was over he reached out to press their palms together again, lips curved in a small, pleased smile. 

 

No one said a word as Hilde moved aside, allowing Heero and Trowa to continue along their path out of the room.

 

Hilde beamed over at Duo, who chuckled dryly before standing as well.  

 

“I suppose that’s our cue to leave,” he remarked, stretching extravagantly. 

 

“I asked the innkeeper to forward our things along,” Quatre added, as he stood behind Duo.  “It will likely be several weeks before they arrive, however.”

 

Wufei grimaced.  He hadn’t had much to begin with, and what he had possessed had been left behind either at the inn to be shipped along, or was currently buried under foliage in an unmapped part of the Chinese wilderness.  He sighed. 

 

Quatre patted his shoulder sympathetically.  “You can borrow from us for now, and we’ll have new things ordered for you.”

 

Wufei eyed him dubiously.  Duo was taller, and both he and Quatre were much slimmer than Wufei, who had spent a lifetime turning his body into a weapon, could ever remember being. 

 

Quatre sidled a bit closer, looking at Wufei under heavy lids.  “Or you could just go without,” the other man murmured, barely a whisper, and Duo chuckled. 

 

The sharp snap of a foot on the acid-stained concrete floor drew their attention from each other and back to Hilde, who looked vaguely amused but mostly exasperated with the three of them.  They watched, blinking, as she motioned surreptitiously towards Meilan, who was still chewing her lip and staring off into space, as though she were lost. Wufei felt a pang in his chest at her expression.

 

Hilde was glaring at him - _at him! Not Duo!_ \- with intent, and there was a handful of awkward seconds before he caught on.

 

“Meilan,” he started, hesitantly, before someone, probably Quatre, jammed an elbow in his back, and he cleared his throat.  “Meilan, let’s go. We all need some sleep.” 

 

Hilde rolled her eyes and sighed loudly.  Turning on her heel she strode out of the room as Wufei stared at her in befuddlement.  For someone who couldn’t speak, she had no trouble expressing herself. 

 

Meilan glanced up at Wufei’s words and looked at him in confusion.  

 

“We’re going to Duo’s apart-” another elbow between his ribs caused him to jerk, “- _ our _ apartment to sleep, and we can sort the rest of this out later.”  He turned to glare at Quatre out of the corner of his eye, but the blond man just smiled serenely. 

 

She opened her mouth to respond, but just as Meilan started to speak, Hilde strode back through the door with a small tote bag over her shoulder, heading straight for Meilan.  She held the bag out, and then shook it, impatiently, when Meilan didn’t immediately reach for it. Reluctantly, the young Chinese woman reached out and took the bag, and Hilde smiled at her in genuine pleasure before turning slightly towards Duo, dashing off more rapid-fire hand signals, which he dutifully translated.

 

“She says that these are clothes and things for you because- hey!”

 

Quatre snorted, and Hilde glared at Duo until he continued.

 

“Because  _ apparently _ we are stupid boys who don’t know anything about women and we haven’t thought about you at  _ all _ and if you need anything else to just let Hilde know.”  

 

Hilde was beaming again, even while Duo huffed in exaggerated disgruntlement.  “I happen to know quite a lot about women,” he muttered under his breath, and both Quatre and Wufei turned to stare at him.

 

“What? I do!”

 

Wufei shook his head as Quatre dissolved into snickers, resting his head against Wufei’s shoulder.

 

Meilan was staring at Hilde with a strange sort of look on her face, a kind of confused wariness, mingled with gratitude and something else Wufei couldn’t quite name, but could easily recall.  The disbelief that a stranger would offer you anything, especially something you hadn’t fought for or earned, as a gesture of good faith, was entirely foreign to her. He could see the emotion in her eyes, and though she didn’t do anything like cry - Meilan would  _ never _ allow herself to cry in front of someone she’d never met, or, even, someone she had - there was a softening to her posture that gave Wufei some hope.

 

Hilde seemed to sense the change in her mood and turned away from Duo, who was still grumbling, to look at Meilan.  Seeing the expression on the other woman’s face, Hilde’s own expression changed, and she reached out, gingerly, to rest her hand on the other woman’s shoulder and give it a squeeze.

 

Wufei felt the same faint brush of magic, and Meilan inhaled sharply, a deep, shuddering sound that she held for a moment before releasing.  As she did, the tension in her forehead and around her mouth relaxed, and Wufei could see the fierce and funny young woman he’d watched grow up.  The woman who could - and did - regularly put their clan’s fiercest warriors on the ground, and in the next moment crack a joke so scathingly sarcastic that even Master Long would laugh.

 

He hoped to see that woman again, eventually. 

 

*

 

They’d barely locked the door behind them when the buzzer rang on the intercom system. Wufei stared at it quizzically. Quatre sighed in exasperation, leaning around him to press the answer key, his hand lingering on Wufei’s hip.

 

“Yes?”  The blond vampire sounded as exhausted and annoyed as Wufei felt.

 

“Delivery for Maxwell.” The voice on the speaker was tinny and unrecognizable.

 

Wufei didn’t know what the hell anyone could be delivering at - he glanced up to check the time - nearly four o’clock in the morning, but Duo snorted in amusement and Quatre buzzed whoever it was up.

 

Wufei managed to slump himself over to a barstool and lean on the counter before the doorbell rang.  Quatre strode over and opened it without hesitation, so Wufei didn’t bother getting back up again. If someone meant them harm, the clairvoyant vampire would have been able to tell.  He caught the murmur of voices and then the door shut again, Wufei never bothering to lift his head. He was seriously considering sleeping where he lay.

 

Then the smell of hot cheese and spices filled his nostrils, and his stomach rumbled loudly.

 

Ok he’d eat first,  _ then _ pass out on the bar.  

 

Quatre sidled into the kitchen, pizza boxes stacked on his hand like a waiter with an elaborate tray, and efficiently distributed them along the counter-top.  When he lifted the lids, Wufei’s mouth literally watered.

 

He wasn’t even sure when he had last eaten.

 

The blond stepped away, his nose wrinkling, and slouched over to an armchair in the living room.  “Bon appetit,” he called over his shoulder, before settling in with a bored look on his face.

 

Wufei dragged himself off the stool and into the kitchen.  Late night delivery was limited, and pizza was better than nothing. He could only assume Hilde had arranged the delivery. It looked excellent, anyway, piled with veggies and meat and steaming from the oven.  He looked up to find Meilan at his elbow, eyeing the food hungrily, and he took a half-step sideways to reach for the cabinet that he was reasonably sure held plates.

 

Ah, success.  He passed a plate to her, and looked up questioningly at Duo, who was leaning against the fridge watching them with amusement.  The braided man shook his head slightly, and Wufei turned back to the pizza with a philosophical shrug.

 

His loss.

 

Between the two of them, Wufei and Meilan demolished all but a few slices of pizza.  Shifters were known for their voracious appetites, but it was a lot of food, even for Wufei.

 

He was riding the endorphin high of a full belly and the feeling of safety that being in Duo’s home brought him, when Duo cleared his throat.  Wufei looked up from where he’d been nearly nodding off over his plate.

 

“I think it’s time to show Meilan to the guest room,” the other man said, gesturing towards the woman, who was leaning on her fist, half asleep herself.

 

Wufei clambered down from the stool, and reached for the bag Hilde had provided for Meilan.  He nudged his packmate, and she jerked, startling awake.

 

“Sorry,” Wufei said, keeping his voice low and soothing, “I thought you might like to sleep in a bed instead of on the counter.”

 

She snorted in response, but climbed down from her own stool to follow him down the hall, reaching out and jerking the bag out of his hand when he wasn’t looking.  Wufei rolled his eyes but let it slide. Duo and Quatre were trailing behind them, obviously intent on bed themselves, and Meilan was only a first stop.

 

Wufei paused outside the door to the bedroom he’d spent only a few nights in, turning the knob and waiting for Meilan to enter.  She did, warily, looking around to take in the same bed Wufei remembered lying awake in, wondering if she were still alive. The private bathroom where he’d showered and… thought of other things.

 

Quatre made a considering noise behind him that jerked Wufei out of his thoughts, and he felt the heat of embarrassment climbing up his face. When Wufei turned to look, Quatre had a knowing smirk on his face.  He and Duo were leaned against the wall opposite the door, Quatre practically wrapped around the taller man, and Wufei-

 

Well, he didn’t know  _ exactly _ what they were thinking, but he could pretty well guess, and he found, suddenly, he wasn’t as tired as he’d thought.

 

Meilan was at the door, looking between the three of them speculatively.

 

“There’s an attached bathroom,” he blurted out, “through the sliding door.  We’ll be down the hall if you need anything.”

 

His own words registered just a bit too late, and he sighed as he waited for her reaction.

 

She put one hand on her hip as she looked between them again, at Quatre’s hand in Duo’s back pocket, at the possessive way they watched Wufei, and then rounded to point a finger at Wufei.

 

“You could have had your pick of the clan, and now I find you here with a vampire  _ and _ a faery prince?” 

 

“I’m a king,” Duo interjected with a sniff, before Wufei could respond.

 

“Oh, excuse me, a faery  _ king _ and a vampire then.”

 

“I’m the prince, actually,” Quatre added, shoulders shaking with suppressed mirth.  “Sort of.”

 

Meilan rolled her eyes.  “What I’m saying, Wufei, is that I never realized you were so  _ greedy _ .”

 

And then she shut the door in his face, Wufei gaping at the wood.

 

Quatre was practically howling with laughter, until Duo pulled away and took Wufei gently by the hand to leading him to their bedroom, leaving Quatre behind to drag himself away from the wall and his own amusement and follow them.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A note on fairy circles: traditionally they're rings of mushrooms, but they can also be rings of necrotic growth. I found a picture of moss and death fairy rings on google and was suddenly inspired.
> 
> In case it wasn't clear, Hilde was asking who killed Zechs, the answer was Trowa, and that's why he got a special magic hug. More on that later.
> 
> Also, yes. Yes I have added ANOTHER FUCKING CHAPTER because I am a masochist and I just have a lot more to say, apparently.
> 
> But it's the last addition, I swear!


	15. Paint it Black

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Fae Realm, and it's queen, are not exactly what Wufei expected.

_I look inside myself and see my heart is black_  
_I see my red door I must have it painted black_  
_Maybe then I'll fade away and not have to face the facts_  
_It's not easy facing up when your whole world is black_

_\- Paint It Black, Ciara_

* * *

 

Wufei sighed.

 

He’d been standing on a platform with an auburn-haired woman bustling around him for the past three hours, being measured and prodded and, occasionally, pricked with pins as she and Quatre had entertained themselves by arguing over what was apparently a brand new wardrobe for him.  He’d agreed to an outfit for their meeting with the Seelie Court, and instead found himself measured for everything from tailored slacks and dinner jackets to more traditional changsan and Tangzhuang.

 

They’d finally begun working on the actual clothes he was to wear to the Fae Realm, which was a curious experience, fabrics mysteriously appearing when his attention was diverted, and always exactly to Quatre’s specifications.  Wufei had stopped wondering about it two hours previously. He just wanted the torture over and done with. He was so close to the end, just waiting on the finalization of a few minor alterations.

 

“You can’t wear _that_ ,” Meilan said with disgust.

 

And now Meilan had belatedly dragged herself out of the guest room to ruin it.  She was sitting on the barstool she’d occupied the night before, a bowl of cereal in her hand - groceries having delivered themselves while the four of them were asleep, or else Hilde had done it - and a scowl on her face.  She was wearing clearly borrowed clothes, loose sweats and a t-shirt that was hanging off one shoulder, but she was clean and she looked better, already, than she had when they found her in the cave.

 

Quatre whirled on her, and Wufei had to suppress the smirk tugging at his lips.

 

“And what,” Quatre asked acerbically, “is wrong with this?”  He gestured at Wufei, who was currently wearing a crisp, Western-style black suit with a deep red vest and carefully-knotted tie. “He looks fantastic!”

 

Wufei snorted.

 

Earlier that morning, after Meilan’s embarrassing call out, Wufei, Duo, and Quatre had gone straight to bed and, surprisingly, to sleep, with a distinct lack of conversation. Wufei knew, however, that their bond was on all of their minds, and he suspected the elaborate wardrobe was Quatre’s way of showing he cared, that he wanted Wufei to stay.  

 

It went without saying that they wouldn’t be doing anything about it before dealing with the unhappy Seelie Queen, if for no other reason than Wufei’s safety, but they all also knew that a decision was in the near future.

 

Meilan clenched her jaw and glanced to the side, before taking a deep breath and reigning in her temper.

 

Wufei was impressed.  He’d never seen her bother to restrain herself before.

 

“You’re meeting the Seelie Queen as the Clan leader, but you’re dressed like some-“ she bit back whatever inflammatory word she’d been about to use.  “You’re Master Chang of the Shenlong Clan. We are a proud people. You should look the part. Not like an accessory.” She was glaring at her cereal now, as though it had personally offended her.

 

Wufei stared at her.  Quatre did too, but his look was more considering than shocked.

 

“Meilan,” Wufei started, and he tried to keep his voice soothing, “the Clan is-“

 

She switched her glare to his face, her complexion flushed and temper sparking in her eyes.  “The Clan is _what_? Slowly rebuilding? Growing every day? Has a respected and powerful leader who should look like a proud shifter and not someone’s arm candy?”

 

Wufei was struck speechless.

 

It wasn’t that she was wrong.  He _was_ Clan leader.  And the pack _was_ technically growing - besides Meilan’s rescue and Trowa’s role, other shifters had started to drift in from China in small groups and pairs, the first of which was the blonde-haired shifter they had interacted with on the mountainside.  Her name was Sally Po, and had been training to be a doctor when she’d been turned. She was a force to be reckoned with, already organizing shifters into groups and assigning duties in the small housing complex that Duo apparently owned and was letting them use.  A gesture that was, Wufei thought, the fae man’s own attempt at convincing Wufei of his sincerity and desire. She’d turned up early that afternoon on the club’s doorstep, obviously having asked around, and Hilde had eventually been required to summon Trowa to sort it all out.  

 

It wasn't the family Wufei’d had before, but it was a family, of sorts.  

 

A pack.

 

His pack.

 

Wufei felt a pang of guilt over all of it.  The people, the housing, the lack of direction.

 

Quatre reached out and rested a hand on his shoulder, soothing him with the touch and, Wufei suspected, a brush of his own magic.

 

“Well then, Miss Long, what would you suggest?” Quatre asked her, and he _almost_ made it sound gracious.

 

She glanced around, spying a small notebook and pencil on the table near the couch, and left her bowl on the countertop to pad over and grab it, flipping to a blank page.  She settled herself cross-legged on the floor next to the seamstress - Cathy, Wufei thought he remembered Duo introducing her on his way out the door - and began sketching in smooth, fluid lines.

 

“Something more… traditional,” she said, and glanced up at Wufei speculatively.  “I’d suggest white, due to the circumstances, but I see we’re going with something more melancholy. There should be some white, though.”

 

White symbolized mourning in Wufei’s culture, rather than black, but he knew this was an unusual set of circumstances.  From his vantage point, he could see that Meilan was sketching out a fairly accurate representation of the ceremonial clothes Master Long had often worn for important occasions.  Pants that were loose in the hip and thigh, more fitted along the calf, and a wide, ornate robe and sash. Linen undershirts and simple shoes.

 

He felt a dash of homesickness, just looking at her sketches.

 

He’d never known she could draw.

 

Quatre eyed the sketch critically and then smiled down at her and Cathy.

 

“It’s perfect.”

 

*

 

Two days later found everyone gathered in what normally felt like a spacious living room in the apartment, but currently felt crowded and overheated.  All of them, it seemed, had turned up for their departure. Not just Heero and Hilde, who, presumably, needed to be available for last-minute instructions or difficulties, but also, obviously, Trowa. Plus Sally - who Wufei felt privately was just a bit nosy - and Meilan, who had gotten progressively more withdrawn as the time had neared.  And who now looked pinched and anxious.

 

Wufei sympathized.  He _felt_ pinched and anxious.

 

He was dressed in unaccustomed finery - Meilan’s sketches brought to impressive life.  His robe was black on black, a pattern of sheen and matte threads woven to resemble crawling ivy, with a blindingly white undershirt, and black silk pants.   He’d strapped the Clan sword prominently to his side, something that had caused Duo to give him a strange look, but it passed unremarked upon. Meilan had even produced an ornate clip for his hair, smirking when he grimaced at it.

 

“You have to look the part,” she’d reminded him, forcing it into his hands.

 

The three of them were very nearly a sea of unrelenting black.  Duo was dressed from neck to toes in an astonishing lack of color, his knee-length coat richly embroidered, but not at all colorful, buttoned over a black shirt and black leather pants, something Quatre had rolled his eyes about.  The blond vampire was similarly attired, though he was wearing a vest over his shirt, rather than a coat, and it had a silver sheen in the light that revealed a similar pattern of vines and ivy, that at least brought some relief to the outfit.

 

They looked, as Meilan had remarked, quite funereal.

 

Which, Wufei supposed, was to be expected.  Duo was Unseelie, after all.

 

Wufei was sweating under his robes, though whether it was nerves or the sheer number of people crowded around him, he couldn’t say.  Everyone was in various stages of forced relaxation, piled on assorted pieces of furniture, except Sally who was leaned against the wall near the damned Caravaggio painting and watching them all with interest.

 

Duo pulled out the Seelie opal and held it up by the chain, looking it over speculatively before handing it to Heero, who took it reluctantly.

 

“Just, one more thing.  Before we go,” he said, and Wufei could feel the faintest stirring of anxiety spilling over into their bond.  

 

Hilde produced a black lacquered box and passed it to Duo, who stared at it for a moment.

 

Nervous was not a word he casually associated with the fae man, but he looked nervous now, as though whatever was in the box held dangerous potential.  

 

Then again, it might, and Wufei felt his own anxiety ratchet up a notch at the thought.

 

Duo took a deep breath and snapped the case open, turning it so that Wufei and Quatre could see the contents.  

 

Inside, nestled into black silk, was a pair of matching rose gold bracelets - fashioned to look like interlocking branches, dotted with black diamonds and rubies, hinged on the underside to open easily.

 

The moment felt strangely weighted, for all that they were presented as pretty baubles, and the look on Quatre’s face - his lips pinched and brow furrowed as he stared at Duo and _not_ at the sparkling jewels - gave Wufei pause.  There was some significance to this that Wufei was unable to decipher, and it made him hesitant to reach for the gift.

 

Duo watched both of them, quietly and without explanation.

 

After a moment Quatre reached out and took one of the bracelets and wrapped it around his wrist, smiling faintly, before turning to look at Wufei.

 

There was no expectation on either of their faces.  It was just an offering, from Duo to Wufei, and from Duo to Quatre, and Wufei wondered if this is where Duo had been the entire time Quatre had been torturing him with wardrobe selection.  Out arranging for these bracelets to be made.

 

He wondered what the actual significance of them was, beyond the fact that they were beautiful and clearly meant just for him and Quatre.  That they matched meant something he was sure. The jewels and metal choices all purposefully chosen, all with specific meaning, he was certain.

 

He wondered, even as he reached out and lifted his bracelet from the case and wrapped it around his left wrist, snapping it closed, where it fit his wrist perfectly.

 

He wondered if that was by design, or some sort of magic.

 

The clasping of the bracelet was silent, and unaccompanied by any magic he could sense.  There was no charm here, no electrifying bond or whisper of constraint.

 

Just a gift freely offered and freely accepted.

 

Faintly, Wufei remembered a warning about accepting gifts from the fae, and almost laughed.

 

Duo reached out and accepted the Seelie pendant from Heero, wrapping his hand around the opal, and the timing must have been perfect, or else it was simply waiting for his touch, because this time there was an accompanying burst of magic, and at Duo’s feet a ring of grass and flowers bloomed, wrapped in a circle of mushrooms.

 

“How very _predictable_ ,” Quatre huffed, reaching for Wufei’s hand and making to step over the ring and into the circle.

 

“Take care,” Trowa called, just before Wufei stepped over the line, and he turned back to meet the other shifter’s golden gaze.  He glanced around the room, at Meilan and Sally, and thought of the other shifters, newly arrived and arriving, trying to make new lives and homes for themselves.

 

“I leave the Clan in your capable hands, Trowa Barton.  Keep them safe.” He saw the other man’s eyes widen, and then he was over the threshold of the circle, and knew nothing but the rush of magic and light.

 

*

 

Stepping out of the fairy circle Duo had created had been uneventful, just an instantaneous arrival in a familiar location.  Stepping out of the fairy circle created by the Seelie Queen into the Fae Realm was a different experience altogether.

 

It was unfamiliar, and bathed in light and color, and Wufei’s initial reaction was very nearly to dive on top of Quatre and protect him from the light source he couldn’t identify.  In fact, he twitched in an aborted maneuver to do so, and only Quatre’s snort of amusement stopped him. He turned to look at the blond man, who was smiling over at him with an expression that Wufei couldn’t quite decipher - something warm and appreciative, and very much unlike the usual smirk he wore.

 

The light around them had no discernable source that Wufei could see, but it felt like the warm sunshine of a perfect spring day.  Wufei had never seen either Duo or Quatre illuminated in the golden glow of midday sun.

 

Duo was gorgeous, but Quatre was breathtaking.  

 

Despite the unrelenting black, he fairly glowed in the light, with his pale skin and blond locks and bright blue eyes, and Wufei thought it was a shame that he was constrained to the night.

 

And speaking of the black, and their clothing, Wufei noticed that the cloth and designs were changing, subtly.  Duo’s clothes were more fluid, taking on the same color-shifting tones that Wufei remembered from the dream he’d shared with the other man, and, as he watched, a sort of crown began to form on his head, coalescing into something that was angular and branch-like, ending in a point that rested on his forehead.  

 

Wufei couldn’t help but notice that it was the same rose gold as the bracelets he and Quatre were wearing.

 

While he was noticing that, he glanced down at said bracelet, and found that his own clothes, and Quatre’s, had also taken on some of the same color-shifting qualities that Duo’s had, and that his shirt and pants felt almost wispy, as though they were formed of thought and not cloth, light and weightless.  Only his sword felt heavy and real at his side.

 

He raised an eyebrow at Duo, who shrugged.

 

“The Realm recognizes its own,” the other man said, and Wufei noticed the shifting color of his eyes, and the way most of the human trappings he typically wore had fallen away.  He was ethereal and ageless, and he very nearly took Wufei’s breath away. “Anyone could claim they were _Rìgh Dorcha_ , but there are no lies amongst the fae.”

 

“Indeed not, _Rìgh Dorcha_ ,” came a voice from their right, and they all pivoted to face the newcomer.  “And might I be the first to congratulate you on reclaiming the throne.”

 

From between the trees, two women emerged, gliding soundlessly across the grass, and Wufei couldn’t help but stare at them.

 

Apparently everyone had come dressed to impress.

 

He recognized the speaker immediately as the Queen, Relena, from her tiny stature to her golden blonde hair.  She was wearing her own crown, a silver circlet of flowers and leaves, artfully accented with white diamonds and glittering opals, and a long off-shoulder gown that Wufei took, at first, as delicate lace, but on closer inspection found that it was finely woven flowers, carefully constructed to fit her perfectly, and it appeared to shift and move as she did, a thing alive.

 

Next to her was another woman, tall and stately, with long blonde hair and an expression that seemed more at home on Quatre’s face than a Seelie fae.  It was calculating and mischievous, and Wufei knew, immediately, that she was going to be a handful. Her hair was pulled back and her dress was a fiery red, low cut and sleeveless, with her own flowers climbing up the sides and back.  An elaborate diamond and opal necklace hung around her throat, and she lifted her hand to brush across the surface, drawing even more attention to it.

 

Quatre made a small noise of surprise.

 

“ _Bhanrigh Soilleir,”_ Duo greeted, making a gesture that wasn’t quite a bow, but was slightly more than a nod. “I hadn’t known this was to be a family reunion, I apologize.”  He turned to the other woman and reached for her hand, bringing it to his lips. “Well met, cousin.”

 

“I had expected to see Merial with you,” Relena offered.

 

Duo made a noncommittal noise. “You asked for the one who found your _priapt_ , so that’s who I’ve brought.” He dipped his head towards Wufei. “Chang Wufei.  And you know my other consort, of course. Quatre.”

 

Quatre shifted, and the edges of the golden bracelet peeked from beneath his shirtsleeve.  Taking the hint, Wufei made a subtle adjustment to his sleeve, so that his own accessory could be seen.

 

It was Relena’s turn to look surprised, though the expression was so fleeting Wufei wasn’t entirely sure he hadn’t imagined it.

 

“I wasn’t expecting you to bring Dorothy, however,” Duo added, glancing over at the tall blonde that accompanied Relena.

 

“I’d like her to be allowed to come home, Shinigami,” Relena said, ignoring the comment.

 

Quatre snorted.

 

“Hilde isn’t being held hostage,” Duo responded, “she doesn’t _want_ to come back.  The Seelie Court didn’t do a very good job of keeping her safe.  She’s not too keen on the Court, or the Fae Realm at all. But If you’d like to speak to her regarding the matter, that can be arranged.  If you’re going to insist on her return, then I’m afraid I would require a similar exchange.” His eyes flicked to Dorothy.

 

Relena's lips thinned as she pressed them together.  Clearly that wasn’t going to be an option.

 

“I want assurances that she is safe and in good health,” the blonde Queen responded.

 

Duo laughed, but the sound was ugly and bitter.

 

“I’d like to remind you that it was _your_ brother who harmed her in the first place, and _your_ general who instigated the slaughter of _my family,_ and I owe you _nothing_.  I didn’t come here to make concessions to the Seelie Court, I came as a courtesy to the young princess I knew as a child.  You can’t frighten me with your threats of war - I’ve already destroyed your greatest warrior. I am Death, violence only fuels my power.”  He paused, looking around at the sunny clearing, the spring trees and budding plants. “There are always shadows, even in the brightest of light, and death is never far behind life, My Lady.”

 

There was a heartbeat of tense, choking silence.

 

Then the other blonde woman laughed.  “Oh this is going to be _such_ fun.”

 

Relena sighed, and some of the anger in her posture seemed to melt away.  “We may as well take this somewhere more comfortable,” she grumbled, and both she and her companion turned to walk out of the clearing.

 

Wufei arched an eyebrow at Duo in question, and the other man shrugged.

 

“Bring your consorts with you,” Duo’s cousin called, voice already drifting away in the trees, “since you apparently need two to keep you satisfied.”

 

Quatre tried, and failed miserably, to choke down his laughter.  Wufei thought the vampire probably agreed with the fae woman’s idea of fun.  Sighing, Wufei trudged into the forest behind the two men he’d tethered himself to, and wondered how he got himself into these things.

 

*

 

They emerged behind the rulers of the Seelie Court into a different sort of clearing. The ground was clear of all but soft, smooth grass within a large circle of trees whose branches had grown together overhead until they formed a thick, protective canopy.  The light filtered through the branches enough to provide illumination, but the glen itself was cool and dark, cozy in a way that clearly made both Quatre and Duo feel more at ease. The darkness was their domain, not the brightness of a cloudless day. At the center of the clearing was a large stone table, round and heavy, moss creeping up the center pedestal, and surrounded by chairs that had not so much been carved but appeared as though they were trees which had been coaxed to grow into chair shape.

 

There were exactly five such chairs and Wufei wondered at that.

 

Relena took a seat, her companion sitting to her immediate right, leaving the three remaining chairs to their discretion.  Duo took the seat in the middle and, after a brief, communicative glance, Quatre sat to his left and Wufei to his right. He wanted his sword pointed at their enemies rather than Duo, in the event he had to draw it.

 

Dorothy smirked at them, a sort of knowing smile that set Wufei’s teeth on edge.

 

“Tell me what happened to Milliardo,” Relena began, without preamble, just as goblets and plates appeared on the table as though summoned.  

 

The cups were filled with sweet-smelling wine, the platters covered in a variety of fruits, nuts, and cheeses. Wufei was suddenly starving, but made no move to reach for any of it.

 

“Rude,” Quatre commented, for the first time, arching an eyebrow at the two fae women across from him.  

 

“A gesture of hospitality,” Dorothy countered, still smirking.

 

“Dorothy,” Relena admonished her, and she sighed, the feast disappearing again, taking Wufei’s hunger with it.

 

His patience suddenly snapped.  He should, Wufei knew, wait for Duo to speak, allow the other man to handle this interaction.  Wufei was out of his depth, out of his league, and completely out of sorts.

 

He was also angry and tired and frustrated. He’d made a last ditch effort to save his people by looking for Duo, had failed even at that, and was now bargaining with the sister of one of the men responsible for the destruction of all he held dear, and now he was being _taunted_.

 

“He’s dead,” Wufei snarled, feeling the strength of his tiger crawling beneath his skin, changing his eyes and giving his voice a low rumble.  “Killed for the crimes he committed against my people, an entire clan of men, women, and children that he and Kushrenada, or Epyon, or whatever he was calling himself, tortured and killed for sport, and both of them have received the justice that they deserved.  My people suffered for far too long, and I, Chang Wufei of the Shenlong Clan, carry the sword that removed his head with pride.”

 

Relena’s face could have been carved from stone, but her eyes held a deep sorrow that moved Wufei not at all.  She may have lost a brother, but he’d lost an entire culture, his home, and everyone he’d ever known except Meilan.

 

Wufei didn't look to see how either Duo or Quatre were taking his outburst.  It was there and he’d done it, and to look at them in question would only weaken his position, make him appear as though he regretted his words.  

 

Dorothy laughed again.  “Oh I do like him, Duo.”

 

Duo ignored the jibe, and continued on as though she hadn’t spoken.

 

“There’s also the small matter of Milliardo and Treize having tried to kill Wufei, and it took a great deal of… effort, to preserve his life.  For that alone I am entitled to whatever punishment I deem necessary. Not to mention the role he played in the destruction of the Unseelie Court.”   Duo’s face softened into something like sympathy as he looked at Relena across the table. “I know he was your brother, and that he convinced you he’d only made a youthful indiscretion, but we discovered him in a cave with Treize, tormenting one of Wufei’s remaining Clan members.   He never gave the relationship up, and I don’t think that he could, no matter what he told you. They were bonded.”

 

Relena took a deep, shuddering breath.  “So it seems that the new Unseelie Court will be built upon retribution.”

 

Quatre snorted, picking at his nails as though totally unconcerned with the entire situation.  “I think the Vampire clans realized that many years ago, when we stripped them of traitors and conspirators.”  He glanced up, his gaze sharp and uncompromising. “You can call it retribution, or justice, or whatever you like.  I called it cleaning house.” His tone clearly implied he thought she should have done the same.

 

“We came here peaceably,” Duo reminded the women, “and we haven’t threatened anything, nor asked for any favor.  You demanded a meeting and here we are, and you’ve done nothing but offer us insult in return. Is this how we are to continue?  The Seelie and Unseelie held no enmity with each other before the Purge.”

 

Dorothy was leaning on one hand, watching the byplay with interest.  Finally she leaned over, whispering something they couldn’t hear into Relena’s ear, and Relena’s shoulders fell as she listened.  When Dorothy resumed her previous posture, Relena seemed to gather herself together, retreating behind a mask of indifference and solitude.  Her eyes no longer revealed the deep emotion Wufei had witnessed before.

 

“ _Rìgh Dorcha_ , I recognize your right to the throne of the Unseelie Court.  Welcome back to _Tír na nÓg_ , and may there be enduring peace between our families and our kingdoms.”  She nodded, with all the formality and regal bearing of someone befitting her station.

 

“ _Bhanrigh Soilleir_ , I appreciate your hospitality.  May your rule be long and peaceful.”  Duo returned her gesture.

 

She and Dorothy rose from their seats and walked away, disappearing between the trees.

 

Duo sighed, slumping over the table for a moment, before he stood and motioned for Quatre and Wufei to follow him out of the clearing, opposite of the direction Relena and Dorothy had taken.

 

“Home?” Quatre quietly asked, threading his fingers through Duo’s.  Wufei took his other hand in his own, mimicking Quatre’s actions.

 

Duo paused for a moment, gazing at a distant point between the trees.  “One more stop, I think.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that Paint It Black is VERY MUCH not originally by Ciara, but that particular cover of the song is the one I listened to for this chapter. Sounds a bit different than the original.
> 
> Changsan is the traditional long tunic shirt. Tangzhuang, or a Tang Suit, is more traditional Chinese clothing.
> 
> Yes, Cathy is magic too. She is a Gianes, if you're interested, though she won't make any more appearances in this particular fic. (Maybe another one, later?)
> 
> ONLY ONE MORE CHAPTER GUYS. ONE. MORE. JUST ONE. AND THEN I'M FREEEEEEEEEEE


	16. Immortal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wherein we wrap everything up in a neat and tidy bow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic has been both a labor of love and excruciatingly painful. Thank you so, so much to everyone who has encouraged me, commented, kudos'd, or otherwise made me feel worthwhile during this process. What started out with Maevemauvaise and I screaming at each other in a chat at 2am for several days has turned into several thousand words, the completion of a personal challenge, and a fic that I am actually really proud of. 
> 
> Again, thank you all so so much.
> 
> As promised, here is your happy ending.

_ But if the Earth ends in fire _

_ And the seas are frozen in time _

_ There'll be just one survivor _

_ The memory that I was yours and you were mine _

_ \- Marina and the Diamonds, Immortal _

* * *

 

Time and distance were mutable, changeable, and meaningless in the Fae realm.  

 

Wufei had no idea where they were going.  Duo had simply said they had another stop, and he and Quatre had followed without complaint.  The newly recognized King of the Unseelie Court was distant and distracted, though he continued walking between Wufei and Quatre, deeper into the forest.  The farther they went - though, Wufei noted, it seemed no hardship, each step as easy as the one before, and not at all taxing - the more time seemed to pass.

 

But not in the usual sense.

 

There was no conscious ticking of hours - the sun never rose or fell, for example, though the light changed as they moved - but the seasons, the world itself, seemed to shift around them.  They traveled to the edges of spring, and from there into summer in all it’s blazing, golden glory, and onward into the beginning of autumn, the green fading and replaced by vivid red, yellow, and orange.  Further still and the fiery colors of new autumn faded as the leaves fell and the plants withered, past the point of the final harvest and nearly into winter. A crisp, cool breeze chased after them, and the shadows lengthened as though night were approaching, but hadn’t yet arrived.

 

They drew to a halt at a break in the trees that tickled at Wufei’s memory, as though he’d seen them once, in a dream, and he had a vivid flash of hasty travel through a moonlit night.

 

They were, he thought, on the edges of Duo’s past.

 

Just past the treeline and over a small rise, were the remnants of destruction Wufei was painfully familiar with.

 

Something that had once been large and beautiful, had been completely razed to the ground.  Nature was reclaiming it, slowly, and Wufei knew that it happened a very long time ago, or at least, a long time in the human realm, but the destruction had been so complete that even now the site showed its scars.

 

He could see the remains of stone walls - some sort of quartz or agate, something that, Wufei suspected, had once reflected the surrounding twilight - but now was burned to blackened rubble.  Parts of the structure were still standing, here and there, but it was clearly uninhabitable and abandoned. And had been so, presumably, since Duo’s escape.

 

Duo stared out over it, his hair whipping in the wind, and his eyes distant.  Imagining what it had been, once, standing tall and gleaming. He gestured at it all, a sort of wide, encompassing motion that was both perfunctory and lackluster.  And then he sat down on the ground to keep watch, as though he could go no further.

 

Wufei crouched beside him, a hand on his arm in solidarity. Comfort.

 

Love.

 

Quatre leaned against his other side, pressed tightly against the fae man from shoulders to knees. 

 

For a long time, no one spoke.

 

“Hilde and I grew up together.  For all that there was peace between the Courts, there was also a long standing tradition - what you’d call political hostages, I suppose.  Children of the noble families exchanged within the Court. It helped keep the peace, forged bonds between our people. Sometimes love matches.  Hilde is Relena’s cousin. Dorothy, as you know, is mine.” He paused, still staring blankly over the ruins.

 

“Relena and I met several times.  We were, both of us, second - well not sons, because she’s obviously a daughter - but with older brothers who were being groomed to rule, us to advise or to… I’m not sure, anymore, what I was supposed to do.  Relena, I think, was a gifted healer.”

 

Wufei slid his hand down Duo’s forearm to link their fingers together and squeeze.  He hadn’t known- he’d had no idea that Duo had had a sibling, much less an older one.  Duo squeezed his fingers in return, but didn’t stop telling his tale. It was like now that he’d started, he couldn’t stop.

 

“When they came for my family, turned my home into an inferno, Hilde rescued me.  I think, now, that Zechs must have woken her, warned her away, and she used time she could have spent getting to safety, to wake me and save my life.  It is a boon I can never repay, though I’ve done all that I can for her, and still she serves me. I think that’s the reason Zechs took her, when he left.  As a punishment. I think he suspected she’d told someone of his misdeeds.”

 

The fae man swallowed hard, looking younger and more sorrowful than Wufei had ever seen him, save for the night he’d woken up from the nightmare.  Quatre had his arm around Duo’s shoulders now, both he and Wufei doing their best to comfort, to soothe.

 

Some wounds could never be healed.

 

“I lost my family, most of my friends.  My mother and father. My brother.” Duo’s face was hollow and pale.  “My parents called him Credne-” Wufei got the faintest impression of childish laughter, the sound of metal striking metal “-but I called him Solo.  He was Solo and I was Duo - our little joke, because we looked so much alike, were born so close together. Almost unheard of amongst the fae. So I understand Relena’s grief, and her rage, and her pain.  Because I share it.”

 

Wufei understood it too.  The railing of your soul against an irrefutable truth, an impossible hurt.  He squeezed Duo tighter, and he could feel Quatre’s arm creep out to encompass him as well, fingers threading through the loose strands of his hair below the clasp Meilan had forced on him.

 

“I want to go home,” Duo said plaintively.  “I hate this place. I just. Wanted to share it with you.  Wanted you to know you aren’t alone.” He was looking at Wufei now, his shifting eyes taking in the expression, the emotion, that Wufei knew was showing on his face.  “You never have to be alone, if you don’t want to be.”

 

He was referring to the bond, Wufei realized, the undeniable and magic-forged connection between the three of them, the elephant that had been in the room since the morning he woke up from an injury that should have killed him.

 

Duo reached out, running his fingers along the intricate branches of the bracelet he’d given Wufei, the one that matched Quatre’s.

 

“My mother was Queen here, my father her consort.  Every ruler has their own crown.” He lifted his free hand to touch the golden edges of the one that had appeared on his head at their arrival.  “After Quatre and I dealt with the vampire clans, we came here, searching for anything salvageable. There wasn’t much. Odds and ends, mostly, and much of it badly damaged.  But the symbolic pieces of the royal family, well, they’re more magic than physical, and my mother’s crown was sitting, waiting, untouched and undamaged.” He looked up to meet Wufei’s eyes again.  “And now you wear it on your wrist.”

 

Wufei took in a sharp breath at the implications.  

 

He’d suspected, when Duo presented the bracelets, that they were significant.  Knew it to be true when he saw Relena’s reaction in the clearing.

 

But  _ this _ .

 

“You have a place with us,” Quatre spoke up, for the first time, watching Wufei with a softness and earnestness that the blond seldom displayed outside the privacy of their home.  “If you want it. In our lives and our home and our relationship - we want you to stay. You don’t have to. It’s your decision; you made the first one under duress. This one is yours to make freely.”

 

Duo nodded.  “And if you don’t want this - and we can understand why you wouldn’t.”  The destruction behind them seemed to speak for itself. “If you don’t, you still have a place in Galway.  There’s room for you, and for your pack. No strings attached.”

 

“You can never have too many spare tigers running around?” Wufei murmured, a hint of humor in his voice, and Quatre laughed. 

 

“Or lions, for that matter,” the vampire agreed, smiling.

 

“Consider it.” Duo said, as he stood and pulled the other two to their feet.  “Take your time. There’s no rush. We’ve smoothed things over with the Seelie Court, extracted our revenge, and adopted some kittens.  There’s plenty of time to make all your life-altering decisions without any unnecessary pressure.”

 

“Well that will be a change,” Wufei said, dryly, brushing off the seat of his pants.  

 

This time Duo laughed, before twisting the same black opal ring Quatre had handed him in the cave in China.  

 

“Let’s go home,” he said, and together they stepped through time.

 

*

 

Wufei was meditating on the balcony of Duo’s apartment when Trowa came to find him.  Duo and Quatre were at the nightclub, business of a somewhat pressing nature forcing them to go, and Wufei, uninterested and unwilling to play arm candy for hours, had begged off.  Had even enjoyed the time alone. For about an hour.

 

Trowa showing up wasn’t entirely unexpected.

 

They’d been back from the Fae Realm for almost two weeks already, but Wufei hadn’t been acclimating well.  Or, as Heero had colorfully phrased it, he’d been ‘back to acting like a cranky, uptight prick’. 

 

Wufei had known, the moment they stepped out of the fairy circle and onto the roof of the condominium, that something was off.   The unseasonably warm and muggy evening had given him a shiver of unease that hadn’t abated when they’d opened the apartment to find that the entire thing smelled cool and sterile, as though it had been unlived in for some time, and Meilan gone.

 

He had, in fact, had a bit of a panic until Duo contacted Hilde and found that the other woman had packed Meilan up to live with her a few days after their departure.

 

And also that the handful of hours they’d spent in the Fae Realm had translated to nearly three months back at home.

 

Wufei had not been happy with that information either.

 

It was bad enough to come back after weeks, months, of missing information and people and interactions, but it felt to him almost like he’d come back to an alternate universe.  An alternate universe where Meilan tended bar and wore tank tops that looked like they’d been destroyed with garden shears and said things like ‘cute but psycho’. Which, granted, wasn’t entirely inaccurate, but it was still a brain bender to see her flipping bottles and pouring beers without so much as blinking an eye.  And cozying up with Hilde afterwards, their dark heads together as Hilde taught her sign language and made her laugh. 

 

An alternate universe where Meilan was teaching other shifters - lions, no less, and a couple of stray jaguars - how to fight and how to shift and how  _ not _ to shift, and Sally was bossing everyone around, and there were nearly twice as many weres as there had been before he left.

 

The only thing that seemed remotely the same, other than Heero’s surly attitude, was Wufei’s relationship with Duo and Quatre.  And even that was hanging over his head, their bond still there, and Wufei still not sure what to do or what he wanted, and of course word that Shinigami was now the Unseelie King had gotten out, and they were inundated with visitors who wanted to pay their respects.  And goggle at Wufei - because word of  _ that _ had gotten out too.

 

Wufei felt exhausted and overwhelmed and out of place, and he had, for all intents and purposes, retreated and allowed Trowa and Sally and Meilan to continue managing pack affairs, had barely ghosted in to see all the shifters, most of whom watched him with a wary eye, before leaving again.

 

“Meilan says the two of you used to spar.”  Trowa’s words interrupted his maudlin train of thought, and Wufei felt his lips quirk in response.  He cracked one eye open to look at the other man.

 

“Fairly often,” Wufei agreed, returning to his meditation pose.

 

In fact, Wufei had been the only one in their clan that could even hold his own against the her, and they’d fought to a draw more often than not.  He’d won as often as he’d lost, and just as often wondered why Master Long hadn’t named Meilan, who was directly descended from him, the heir and been done with it.  

 

“Well she’s currently wiping the floor with every shifter in the pack, and I think an intervention might be necessary.”  

 

Wufei did open his eyes at that, turning to look at Trowa in surprise.  The other man’s face was filled with wry humor, but Wufei wasn’t entirely sure he was joking. 

 

The idea of sparring with her, of using his skills for competition and stress relief, rather than death and dismemberment, was appealing.  It had been a long time since Wufei had sparred for the sheer thrill of pitting himself against someone equal his skill level, without risking life or limb.  He could feel the grin spreading across his face, and Trowa smiled in response to it, knowing he had Wufei convinced already.

 

“I suppose,” Wufei said, finally, standing up and following Trowa from the balcony and out of the apartment to the street below, where they climbed into one of the sleek, black cars that Duo favored and drove to the housing complex that the pack had essentially commandeered.  Trowa parked outside the community building, which, Wufei knew, had a rec room that was perfect for practicing forms or, more probably, beating each other into a bloody pulp.

 

Sure enough, when they walked in the room, Meilan was dispatching her opponent, a man with several inches and at least seventy five pounds on her, with ease and economical grace.  She wasn’t even breathing hard, Wufei noted with both pride and amusement, and against one wall was a line of people he could only assume had been similarly brought down.

 

Everyone seemed in cheerful good spirits, and Wufei recognized, suddenly, that the intervention was for him, not Meilan.

 

He turned to Trowa, an eyebrow raised.  The other man shrugged and crossed his arms over his chest in a clear challenge.

 

Wufei sighed theatrically, but he couldn’t deny the thrill coiling in his gut.

 

He’d  _ missed _ fighting with Meilan.

 

Trowa cleared his throat, and the commotion in the room drew to a general halt, everyone turning to look at the two of them.  It made him vaguely uneasy, most of them staring at Wufei with a sort of guarded acceptance and respect that he wasn’t entirely comfortable with.

 

Luckily, Meilan had never regarded him with anything except unrelenting challenge.

 

“Oh good, I haven’t kicked your ass in a while,” she called, grinning, and Wufei snorted.

 

“Trowa says you need an intervention,” Wufei snarked back, toeing his shoes off at the edge of the room and walking towards her.  “I suppose I can provide one.”

 

There was a round of whispering in the room, a few catcalls, and Wufei was certain he saw money exchange hands before it all faded to background noise as he centered himself a few feet away from Meilan - out of grabbing distance, but close enough to be considered an opponent. 

 

This could go either way, really.  Wufei hadn’t stretched, hadn’t warmed up at all, and Meilan had clearly already gotten her blood pumping with her earlier opponents.  Then again, he’d always been a bit stronger with a longer reach, though she had been the faster of the two of them, but he expected to have the advantage this time - his bond with Duo and Quatre lended him a fairly significant gain.

 

Meilan moved - typical, that she’d make the first move, impatient and temperamental as always - and Wufei forgot to weigh his odds, forgot to think about anything except the fight itself. 

 

The first few moments were odd, Meilan landing more hits than he blocked, Wufei still adjusting, still waiting on his muscles to catch up to the fervor of the moment. Then his brain slid into place, smooth and familiar, and he  _ knew _ this, he knew Meilan and their fights and her style and grace, and soon he was pushing her back, forcing her to block his movements and fists and feet.

 

They were nearly evenly matched, as they had always been, and they were barely even breaking a sweat when Wufei was briefly distracted by threads of emotion as familiar to him as his own heartbeat.

 

_ Pride.  Amusement.  Lust. _

 

Trowa had clearly made this a community event, Wufei thought with his own flash of humor, recognizing the presence of his lovers, though he also recognized that Quatre was doing what he could not to be an impediment, because the feelings came to him as though from a muffled distance.

 

Wufei was already moving faster, hitting harder, before it occurred to him that his response to their presence, rather than embarrassment or a sense of decorum, was to  _ show off _ .  

 

Well, how often in his life had he gotten the opportunity?

 

The grin on his face was feral, and only a few moves later he had Meilan down and pinned to the mat.

 

“Yield!” he demanded, leaning his forearm on her chest, and she raised her arms in supplication, laughing.

 

“Fine, fine, I yield, oh wise and powerful leader.”

 

He let her up, reaching down to help her to her feet.

 

“Even if you did cheat,” she muttered, her gaze sliding sideways to where he was sure their newest audience members were standing, and accepted his grip.  If he hadn’t known her for a lifetime, he wouldn’t have expected it as she yanked on his arm, trying to overbalance him and pull him down beside her. As it was, he’d already braced for the ploy.

 

Wufei snorted as he hauled her up.  “Oh  _ I _ cheated?” he asked as he released her hand and wiped his face off with his forearm.  “And what was that, a friendly test of strength?”

 

“Tactics.” 

 

Quatre huffed a laugh, and Wufei looked up to find the two of them leaning against the wall, watching, with heat in their eyes.

 

He held their gaze for a heartbeat, two, three, and then they were obstructed from his view as half the clan piled onto the open floor, pounding him on the back and ribbing Meilan, laughter and goodwill surrounding the two of them.

 

Trowa, once again, had been right.

 

Wufei found his golden gaze between the heads and shoulders of the people surrounding him, and the other man winked.

 

Rolling his eyes, Wufei managed to, slowly, disentangle himself from everyone and work his way back to his shoes.

 

“Leaving so soon?” Sally called out, just as he was sliding his feet back into them and turning towards where Duo and Quatre were waiting.

 

“I’m sure you can manage to entertain yourselves in my absence,” Wufei responded dryly.  

 

“I doubt it’s our entertainment you’re concerned with,” she responded in the same tone, amusement twinkling in her blue eyes.

 

Half the people in the room erupted into catcalls and whistling, and even Quatre rolled his eyes in response, though Duo seemed to find the whole thing hilarious, a warm smile splitting across his face.

 

Wufei shrugged.  “I’ll be back tomorrow night, if anyone else wants to take their chances,” he offered, looking at the faces of the people he was honor-bound to protect, to lead.  Several of them had were sporting wide, wolfish grins. He wondered if he’d regret his offer.

 

But for the first time in a long time - maybe ever - he felt sure of himself and his decisions.

 

Turning to go, he tossed a wave over his shoulder as he followed Duo and Quatre out of the community and into the same car Trowa had driven to the building, Quatre climbing into the driver’s seat and pointing it towards home.

 

Wufei blinked and wondered when he’d started to think of their apartment as  _ home _ .

 

*

 

Inside the apartment Wufei found himself backed up against the wall by Quatre, who was pressing hot, open-mouthed kisses against his neck.

 

“Well, that was certainly impressive,” the blond murmured against his neck, his hot breath causing Wufei to shudder. 

 

Duo hummed agreement from the where he was pressed against both of them, trailing his long fingers across what bare patches of skin he could reach.  Wufei turned his head and the other man caught his lips in a kiss before dragging his mouth across Wufei’s jaw.

 

The two of them together were always endlessly overwhelming, but Wufei had something he wanted to say, something he’d been dwelling on for some time now.

 

“Wait, wait,” he gasped out, just as Duo sucked his earlobe into his mouth. 

 

It was, perhaps, the first time Wufei has ever called a halt to the proceedings since they’d all sorted themselves out, months ago in China.  Or was it on the train? Wufei wasn’t sure at the moment, his mind a tangled mess of want and need, his emotions overlapped and mingled with the others’ similar feelings.

 

“We need to talk,” he added, his breath still coming in labored gasps.

 

“What do you want to  _ talk _ about,  _ a chuisle _ ?” Duo murmured in his ear, and Wufei hadn’t yet managed to work out what the endearment meant.  It was something Duo had taken to calling him since they’d come back from the Fae Realm, the same way he called Quatre  _ la petit mort _ , which Wufei at least recognized, but this one wasn’t even in the same language, as far as he could tell.  It always gave Quatre a faint sense of satisfied amusement whenever Duo said it though.

 

Predictably, Quatre huffed a laugh into Wufei’s neck, warm and moist, and Wufei shivered. “We could do something far more entertaining than talk,” the blond added, teeth grazing across the sensitive skin of Wufei’s throat.

 

They could, and probably would, but Wufei was still riding the high of feeling sure of himself, of trusting his choices, and he wanted this one addressed now, while he was confident of his decision.

 

“Our bond,” Wufei managed to say, trying not to get swept away in the cascading emotions he could feel coming off all of them.

 

At once, Duo and Quatre backed off, and Wufei felt the sudden cold of their absence as a more-than-physical sensation, recognizing that they’d pulled back emotionally as well, and he realized, suddenly, that they were just as vested in his answer as he was.  Just as worried and unsure as he had felt, behind their confident masks. 

 

Just as scared.

 

The thought brought him some relief, surprisingly.  They’d been clear - over and over - that they wanted him in their lives, that they were invested in having him in their relationship, but it was oddly reassuring that they weren’t certain of his answer, but instead hopeful and unsure. 

 

“I want to stay,” he blurted, looking nervously between two sets of wary blue eyes.

 

No one said anything, the ticking of the clock loud in the silence, until, finally, Quatre spoke.

 

“But?” the vampire asked, prompting Wufei to go on.

 

“But nothing?” Wufei answered, confused.  

 

“You want to stay with us,” Duo clarified, “or you want to stay in Galway with the pack, or you want to stay but not keep the bond or?”  

 

“I-”  Wufei stopped, licking his lip as his mouth dried out with anxiety.  He took a deep breath. He could do this. It was now or never, and he knew what he wanted and they both deserved to hear it from him, out loud.  “I want to stay with you. And I want to keep the bond. I… like it.”

 

The two of them had matching smiles spreading across their faces.  Smiles that quickly turned to smirks at his final words.

 

“Oh you  _ like _ it,” Quatre scoffed, stepping back into the space he’d been occupying before, his body pressed firmly up against Wufei’s, his mouth returning to the slightly damp and tender spot he’d been teasing at for the last few minutes.  “Tell us more about how much you  _ like _ it.”

 

Wufei opened his mouth to respond but his words were lost in a garbled groan as whatever means Quatre had been using to keep him - and Duo - slightly separated from Wufei when he’d brought up his desire to talk was suddenly gone, and Wufei was swamped in feelings from the other two.  He almost didn’t notice Duo sliding up beside them, notching himself into the space Quatre left for him, warming Wufei’s other side. 

 

“I think he likes it a lot,” Duo offered, and Wufei could feel the humor, sandwiched in between the lust and the - well, the love he felt curling around him from the other man.

 

Quatre made a noise of agreement as he began shuffling all of them down the hallway towards the bedroom.

 

“I love it,” Wufei admitted, snorting a laugh as both Quatre and Duo tripped a little at his words, the blond turning to give him a beaming smile, Duo squeezing his hand tightly.  He could feel the warm, molten emotion pouring through their connection, the same emotion he’d felt but not recognized weeks and weeks ago in China. The same emotion that curled in his own gut, warming him from the inside.

 

He trailed them all the way to the bedroom, his feet following where his heart led.  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a chuisle - Irish gaelic for 'pulse' or 'my pulse'
> 
> la petit mort - French for 'the little death', also a euphemism for orgasm
> 
> Clearly I enjoy my nicknames being both fitting and ironic.
> 
> Again, thank you all so, so, so much for all the love and attention you've showered me with.
> 
> Finally:
> 
> This is a callout post for Tumbledrylemur - you know what you're supposed to do ;)

**Author's Note:**

> A million thanks to ChronicWhimsy for the beta reading! and to Maevemauvaise for the idea and the flails and ClaraxBarton for the editing/cheerleading!!! 
> 
> All of you are a million times more than I deserve


End file.
